15 Reasons to Fall in Love
by xpiester333x
Summary: Sanji knows he and Zoro would be a bad idea, in fact he's written an entire list of reasons why they would be a bad idea. Of course, the marimo won't hear of it. He wants Sanji to give him a chance. So Sanji is just going to have to prove him wrong, right?
1. Chapter 1

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love **

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

If Sanji had known he was going to be kissing the marimo in the kitchen that evening, he may have stayed in bed that morning. However, in typical Marimo fashion, there was no warning, no foreshadowing to the event that was going to transpire that evening.

It had been a completely normal day by all accounts. In fact, maybe that in itself was the warning. The day was _too_ normal. There'd been no freak storms, no marine or pirate attacks, just a perfectly mellow day aboard the _Thousand Sunny_. Sanji had been grateful for the down time. It was only a matter of time before their next adventure, and the down time and recovery time was good for the crew. He decided to make the most of it, pouring himself into his cooking and producing an elaborate dinner time meal that awed everyone with its taste and presentation.

It was a pleasant dinner. There was enough food to even satisfy Luffy's usually insatiable appetite. The crew was in high spirits, and their dinner was a comfortable, entertaining one. Sanji couldn't have asked for a better day, his nakama were safe, well-fed, and happy. What could possibly ruin this absolutely perfect day?

The answer came in the form of one seaweed-headed swordsman. As the night wore on, the crew began filtering away. The ladies left first to bathe and retire for the night. Franky followed not long after, claiming he was nearly finished with a project and would like to finish it before he headed to bed. Brook left after a while, the sounds of his violin could be heard drifting from the crow's nest, where he'd be taking first watch. After Usopp finished his long-winded (and probably mostly fabricated) tale of some heroic adventure, he and an enthralled Chopper left to go play some games on the deck. Luffy followed not long after, being sure to vacuum the scraps off of his crewmate's plates before he left.

Sanji expected Zoro to grab his customary bottle of booze and head out like the rest, so he was surprised when the marimo set about clearing off the table and brought the dishes to the sink where Sanji was getting ready to wash them.

"Need some help with these?" Zoro asked, his face a calm neutral.

Sanji raised an eyebrow skeptically, expecting some kind of gag. When Zoro just continued to stare at him expectantly, Sanji finally gave a careful nod. "…Sure…thanks, Marimo."

Zoro threw him off completely with a sincere smile before he set to rinsing off the tableware he'd collected. Something was off. Since when did the marimo smile like that to him? Never that Sanji could remember. The best Sanji usually got was a playful grin that usually sparked the start of some kind of competition between them. They didn't have the kind of relationship that led to a lot of warm smiles.

Sanji decided for now it was best to let it go. It had been such a good day; surely even Zoro had been affected by it. He was almost always in the thick of things when things got messy, perhaps it was just the relaxing mood getting to his moss-brain. Deciding that was that, Sanji set to washing dishes with the marimo in a comfortable and companionable silence.

They were almost done with the dishes before either of them spoke. It was Zoro who broke the silence. "Hey, Love-cook," He said, eyes never leaving the dish he was carefully drying.

"Yeah, Marimo?" Sanji asked, eyes flicking curiously to the swordsman.

Said swordsman was staring at the same cup like it had asked him a particularly tough riddle. He was silent for a moment, contemplating the innocent glass before he carefully set it aside and trained his eyes on Sanji.

"If I told you I had feelings for you, what would you say?"

Sanji would have laughed, had he not seen the seriousness in Zoro's expression. It was a sincere question. Sanji's eyes widened in shock as it really sank in. The marimo…had feelings for him? The same Marimo who was constantly fighting with him, trying to one up him, and poking fun at him? The same Marimo that Sanji had accused of not having two brain cells to rub together? That Marimo…was confessing to him?

It had barely sunk in, his thoughts still spiraling, when he noticed the swordsman had leaned in closer. He hadn't even fully registered what that meant until the swordsman's lips met his own.

Sanji was paralyzed. He didn't kiss back or pull away. He just stood, eyes wide in complete and total confusion. What was happening? What. Was. _Happening? _ Weren't they just having dinner? Weren't things just normal a minute ago?

After a couple of seconds (that felt like hours) Zoro pulled away, searching Sanji's eyes for some sort of response. Lord only knows what he found, because Sanji didn't. But whatever it was, it prompted the marimo to lean in once more and press his lips to Sanji's.

This time, Sanji responded. He wasn't sure _why_ he was kissing back. Only that it didn't feel _wrong_. It actually felt very right, completely natural, like kissing Zoro was what Sanji was made to do. He didn't resist when the swordsman gently probed his lips with his tongue. No, instead he parted his lips, inviting Zoro to deepen the kiss. And he kissed back with enthusiasm.

It wasn't until he felt Zoro's hands on his chest that he came to his senses. They skimmed over his shirt and sent pleasant shivers down his spine in a way that was entirely new to Sanji. It wasn't that it was unwelcomed, but it kick started the chef's brain enough to start asking questions.

With all the willpower he could muster, Sanji pulled away from the kiss, giving Zoro a gentle push to send a message his mouth could not. Zoro complied, pulling away and opening his eyes, meeting Sanji's with a look that was heavy with hope and desire.

"Wait…Zoro," He panted, catching his breath that had been completely stolen from him. "What are you doing?" He finally asked.

"Kissing you," Zoro stated plainly. He was panting too and deep inside, in an area of emotions Sanji wasn't going to touch right this moment, was a little satisfied to see the usually stoic swordsman so worked up.

"Okay..." Sanji acquiesced. "But, why?"

"Because I have feelings for you, and I wanted to," Zoro shrugged. The intense look from before was fading from his eyes. In its place, doubt was forming. "Isn't that pretty normal?"

Sanji frowned. "What kind of feelings? Zoro, just this morning you hated me."

"I've never hated you," Zoro frowned as well. "I don't particularly like you when you're getting all noodly over the girls, but I don't hate you."

Sanji's head was spinning. The marimo truly had just thrown him for a loop. He couldn't make sense of anything at the moment. "Marimo," Sanji growled, trying to head off the headache he could feel forming. "Say exactly what you feel, plain and simple."

"I love you," Zoro replied simply. No hesitation, no doubt.

Sanji's scowl deepened. This still wasn't making any sense. Since when? How? Why? What exactly brought this on? Questions cycled through Sanji's head like they were riding on a Ferris wheel. Each one replacing the last before Sanji had any time to pursue it.

But there were more pressing matters at the moment. Namely one green-headed swordsman, watching him expectantly.

"Sanji?"

Sanji shook his head once to clear the pointless questions away and make room for the question at hand; how to answer the marimo.

"Zoro, we can't," He finally managed. Though it sounded forced even to him.

"We can't?" The previous passion and Zoro's eyes was completely gone now. It had been completely replaced by hurt and confusion.

That look almost set Sanji back, but he met Zoro's gaze with a stern one of his own. "No. We can't."

"Why?"

Sanji sighed. This couldn't just be easy, could it? No, of course not. This was the Marimo he was talking about. That man wouldn't know the answers if Sanji wrote them out for him….Now there was an idea. "Zoro, I could write an entire list about why you and I would never work out."

Zoro scowled now. "Can't you at least give me a chance?"

Sanji shook his head. "No can do, Marimo. Trust me on this one. You and I, as a couple, would never work."

Zoro's hand struck out fast, and Sanji winced, bracing himself for the impact of a fist to his face. It wouldn't be any less than he deserved, he supposed. Zoro was spilling his heart out here, and Sanji was shooting him down with ease.

The swordsman was full of surprises this evening though. Instead of the harsh contact and blossoming pain of a fist against his jaw, Sanji felt a warm brush against his cheek that left a trail of sparks in its wake. It was gentle, and backed by pleading look from Zoro's dark eyes that captured Sanji entirely. "Please," He spoke, his tone quiet and almost desperate. "Consider me? I won't force myself on you. I'll leave things alone for now. Just…please don't write me off just yet, okay?"

Before Sanji could even reply, Zoro pulled away. He picked up the last of the dishes, carefully arranged them in the cabinets (just the way Sanji liked), and left the galley before Sanji could even work up a proper refusal.

…What had just happened?

It took Sanji a few minute to gather his wits. He narrowed the entire ordeal into four easy to understand categories: The marimo had confessed to him. The marimo had kissed him. He had rejected the marimo. The marimo wasn't taking no for an answer. Not just yet.

Once Sanji had filed the whole ordeal down to that, he immediately left the kitchen, making a beeline for the navigator's office. Luffy may have called out to him on his way, but Sanji moved with single minded purpose, not stopping until he reached the door that led to Nami's map room. He knew she'd probably already retired to her room for the evening, in fact he was hoping she had, but the gentleman in him insisted he knock before entering. He gave the door two quick taps before bursting in, not even leaving enough time for a response had the room been occupied.

Fortunately it wasn't. Moving carefully so as to not jostle or misplace anything, Sanji searched the desk for a page of blank paper. He found it, snatching a piece off the stack and nabbing a pen before quickly exiting the room. If Nami knew he'd taken even one piece of paper, she'd charge him three times the original cost of it plus interest for every minute he didn't pay her back.

He mentally berated himself. It wasn't like him to think such thoughts about the navigator. She worked hard at her trade and paid good money for the quality paper he had just stolen, of course she would have the right to demand compensation if she found out. He sent out a mental apology to her for his rude thoughts and wrongful actions. The marimo was getting to him. He needed to set this straight.

Returning to the galley, ignoring Luffy's cries for an after dinner snack, he quickly shut and locked the door behind him. He sat at the table, carefully spreading the stolen piece of paper out before him. He had told Zoro he could write and entire list on why he and Sanji would never work out, and he damn well was going to. Maybe, if the marimo read it, he would see the madness in his actions and agree with Sanji.

"15 Reasons that I Cannot Date the Marimo," Sanji headed the page.

Zoro thought they should be together? Sanji sure as hell was going to show him.

* * *

**A/N:**

Salutations! I've never actually posted anything to this site before, so this is my first. It's also my first time writing anything ZoSan, so I'm just a mess of firsts here. I apologize for any OOC-ness that may occur. I'm trying to avoid that, but it may end up happening anyway. Also, it may end up very cliche or boring. Or both. I'm hoping not, but I still want to try my hand at this either way.

I also apologize for any grammatical errors, spelling errors, or typos. I read it over twice, but it's three in the morning and it's very possible I missed things. It's also very possible that my grammar isn't that great anyway. That's very very possible. I'm a comma splice queen. I've been trying to pay more attention to that, but you've been warned.

I am posting this in hopes that I will keep up with this. Sometimes I start things and don't finish them, but hopefully with an audience, I can avoid that. I'll try to post weekly, if not more often. I'm aiming for 16-17 chapters, and I don't think any chapter will be much longer than this. We'll see.

Sorry for the long authors note, I think I covered all the bases. These will be brief to non-existent from now on. Any and all opinions are welcome, though I'd appreciate constructive criticism more than flat out criticism.


	2. Chapter 2

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

**1. Zoro had no sense of taste.  
** Sanji was a chef, it didn't even make sense for him to date someone who didn't have taste buds. Zoro ate food robotically, never expressing a preference. If he didn't have a sense of taste, he didn't belong with Sanji.

* * *

Sanji woke slowly the following morning. It was second nature to him to wake early, like he'd been born with an inner alarm clock, though it was more likely from years of cooking for people. Preparations had to be made early for breakfast patrons, so Sanji was well accustomed to getting up early. It wasn't always easy though, especially on mornings after a night spent up late writing lists about why it was a bad idea to pursue a relationship with a certain moss-headed swordsman.

Sanji's eyes snapped open. Oh yes, Zoro had confessed to him last night. The memory woke Sanji up instantly and he sat up in his hammock. He threw a look around the bunkroom, like he was expecting something to have changed in the middle of the night. But no, his crew mates were sleeping soundly, most snoring at volumes Sanji had long since learned to tune out.

Sanji looked to Zoro's hammock. The swordsman lay snoring softly (compared to others, anyway) looking the same as every other morning. As if nothing out of the ordinary had happened last night. Sanji almost passed it off as a dream, perhaps brought on by too much tarragon on the chicken? But when he shifted to slide off his hammock the crinkle of paper in his pocket reassured him the seasoning on the chicken had been perfect, and that his encounter with Zoro had definitely happened.

Fully alert now, and a little on edge, Sanji straightened himself and headed for the marimo's hammock. He was half tempted to throw a kick in the other man's direction, but that would surely wake the rest of the crew. Sanji didn't need that just yet. Besides, Zoro looked so peaceful in his sleep at the moment…Sanji shook himself mentally and prodded the swordsman.

With an undignified grunt, Zoro rolled and peeked his eyes open. "Waddya want, cook?" He grunted.

"I want you get up and follow me. We need to talk," Sanji replied, before turning to leave the bunkroom. The swordsman would follow or not, Sanji didn't know which he preferred.

It was only a moment later though that he was joined by Zoro. The moss-head looked full awake now, with an uncertain look in his eyes. He probably wondered if Sanji called him out here to kick his ass. Sanji thought about it, if only to relieve some of the stress this whole situation was causing him. He wouldn't though, not yet. He needed to set Zoro straight properly first. He was flattered by the marimo's confession, but he couldn't accept his feelings. Still…he didn't want to hurt Zoro. Sanji was surprised at how seriously he was taking this.

"Here," Sanji finally said, slipping the paper from his pocket and passing it to Zoro. He busied himself with lighting up a cigarette while he waited for Zoro to read it.

But Zoro just held the folded sheet, staring at it like Sanji had placed something slimy and unidentifiable in his hand instead. "What is it?" He asked.

"A list," Sanji explained. "Of reasons I can't accept your feelings."

Instead of inspecting his list, like Sanji assumed he would, Zoro threw him an angry glare. "I don't want it," He replied, shoving the list into Sanji's chest with more force than was necessary.

"Hey!" Sanji choked out. "Why not?"

Zoro fixed him with a steady glare, but his usually expressionless eyes flashed with a feeling of betrayal. "Because I was hoping you'd at least give me a chance."

"Zoro," Sanji started, but Zoro cut him off.

"I already said I wouldn't force you. I just want you to look at me," Zoro shrugged, and then scratched the back of his neck, a sure sign that he was feeling awkward. "Besides, if I read that, then you'll tell yourself anything you see is just because I'm fitting your list of probably ridiculous criteria."

Sanji gaped. He hadn't even thought of that. Not that he was thinking much about giving Zoro a chance at all…but the point was the marimo was being unusually perceptive. Something Sanji would never have expected from the usually brainless moss-head.

"I knew you were going to be stupid about this." Zoro said, looking down at the list again.

Sanji opened his mouth to protest, but Zoro continued.

"Seriously, I don't want it to be weird. I just…" He paused, looking completely out of his element. "I just want you to look at me. Like that. And maybe nothing will change…but maybe it will."

Sanji opened his mouth, making a couple of false starts before he found the right words. "I don't want to get your hopes up Zoro…"

"You won't," Zoro smirked. "And even if you do, you let me worry about that. Just do me this favor?" He held the list out again.

Sanji took it and nodded mutely. This was not going at all as planned, but what could he do? Zoro was completely serious, and Sanji would be insulting him by not treating him with equal seriousness. Besides, it wasn't an outrageous request right? Give Zoro a second of his thoughts during the day? Well he'd been doing that since yesterday anyway, and it hadn't killed him yet.

"I'm going to start breakfast," Sanji announced, pocketing his list. "Sorry I woke you up so early for nothing."

Zoro shrugged. "No worries. I can nap later. I'll just get a head start on my training."

Sanji nodded again, turning and leaving the marimo to his own devices. He needed to plan a meal now, something quick to make up for the time he'd lost talking to Zoro. Speaking of Zoro…he thought back to the list in his pocket.

He paused and half turned. "Hey, Marimo?"

Zoro stopped and turned at the call of his nickname. "Yeah?" He asked.

"Is there anything special you want for breakfast?" Sanji asked, quickly adding, "Since I got you up so early, the least I can do is make your choice."

Zoro seemed to think it over, but only for a second before he shrugged. "Nothing comes to mind. I'll eat whatever you make."

Sanji sighed. He'd expected as much, but the marimo had been so full of surprises lately he thought maybe, just maybe, he'd get another one. No such luck though.

"Sorry," Zoro called, picking up on Sanji's obvious disappointment. "I don't really have a lot of experience with cooking. I grew up on some pretty simple food. A lot of time you make stuff I've never even heard of. It's always good though, so I just enjoy getting to try the new things you make," He shrugged, turning to head up the crow's nest.

Sanji froze. "So the reason you never ask for anything…" He trailed off.

"Hm?" Zoro paused again. "Oh. I like trying new things that I haven't gotten to eat before. I just figure I'll leave it a surprise, you know?"

Sanji nodded without really thinking. That seemed to be enough for Zoro though, who turned and made his way up to the crow's nest. Sanji stared after him for a moment before turning and heading to the galley. Once he was inside he pulled his list out of his pocket. So Zoro liked trying new things? And he liked trying the things Sanji cooked, even if he'd never had them before…

Sanji carefully unfolded his list, pulled the pen from his opposite pocket, and crossed out the first item on his list.

* * *

Sanji worked quickly to make a breakfast that would please his crew. Breakfast was Sanji's favorite meal of the day. The menu possibilities were practically endless, and everyone could enjoy it without fuss. Sanji never accepted someone turning down his food, even if he had to shove it forcefully down their throats, and they'd all learned that the hard way. That didn't mean everyone liked what he was serving though. Luffy, for example, detested anything green and healthy for him. Sanji's job was to make sure they all ate and ate well. He'd seen the effects poor nutrition would have on sailors, and he would be sure no one on his ship suffered them.

Breakfast was easier. Sanji could hide the green things Luffy hated so much in potatoes or eggs, where he'd be less likely to notice them as he inhaled his food. Chopper, who adored sweet things, could be treated to muffins or pancakes without Sanji having to worry too much about his sugar intake. Nami enjoyed the fresh fruit Sanji tried to prepare every morning. Robin, an avid coffee drinker, especially enjoyed breakfast, as most of the food went well with her morning drink. Franky liked anything that was pan fried, and Usopp would eat anything that didn't contain mushrooms (he could pick even the smallest fragment of mushroom out of anything, and outright refused to eat them).

Brook, Sanji reflected, was the most convenient member of the crew.

In Sanji's eyes, breakfast was the one meal of the day he could please everyone while still keeping them healthy. He made sure there was at least something that would appeal to the crew laid out on the table. He looked it over and gave it an approving nod. Yes, everyone would enjoy this…

His thoughts drifted to Zoro. What would Zoro enjoy here? Probably not the muffins, Zoro didn't seem like the sweets type. What did he usually have for breakfast?

But Sanji couldn't think of anything. He didn't usually pay much attention to the marimo during meals, or at all really. He typically left the swordsman to his own devices, unless those devices put him in Sanji's way. Then Sanji would pick a fight.

Thinking of it that way, Sanji felt a little guilty. No wonder Zoro had just asked him to look at him, Sanji hardly gave him the time of day. Well, Sanji decided, he would be changing that now. He may not be planning on a relationship with Zoro, but he could at least try to treat the guy as a friend, right?

"Good morning, Cook-san," Robin gave her customary greeting, heading directly for the pot of coffee Sanji had prepared for her. She was always the first to rise, and Sanji had gotten quite used to her company in the mornings.

"Good morning Robin-san!" He greeted enthusiastically. "I trust you slept well?"

Robin smiled warmly. "As well as most nights, Cook-san," She replied, before drifting gracefully over to her usual seat at the table.

Sanji hummed happily as he set about catering to any needs she may have, though she assured him she was fine at the moment. Of course she would dismiss him, she knew how busy prepping meals could be. She was so wonderful and courteous and generous and caring and….

Observant. Robin was very observant.

"Pardon me, Robin-chwan," Sanji spoke, pulling Robin from the book she'd just opened. "I don't mean to interrupt, but could I ask you a question?"

Robin looked up at him with some surprise. For as…endearing as Cook-san could be, he was very rarely so thoughtful when he spoke to her. Instead he usually flitted around her, showering her with affection and praise before taking the hint and leaving her to the peace of her books. Today was an unusual exception, unusual enough that she set her book down and allowed him her attention. "Of course, Cook-san, how can I help you?"

Sanji thought for a moment of how best to word it. It was going to be an odd question no matter what though, so he decided the direct approach was for the best. "This may seem like an odd question, but have you ever noticed what kind of food Zoro likes best?"

Robin was intrigued by the question. It was no secret to the crew that Sanji and Zoro had a relationship built on blind rivalry, and it was rare for Sanji to show any concern for the swordsman. "That is an odd question, Cook-san, have you perhaps thought to ask Kenshi-san what he prefers?"

"Well, about that," Sanji set about explaining the conversation he and Zoro had just had that morning. Well, the parts of it that pertained to food, he wasn't going to bother his Robin-chan with their more personal affairs.

"But then Cook-san," Robin finally spoke after hearing his explanation. "Does that mean that Kenshi-san would be happy to eat anything you cooked?"

Sanji frowned. "Well…yes…but…"

"But you want to find something to appeal directly to his palette. Something he would enjoy more than most things?" She suggested.

Sanji couldn't be sure, but he swore he saw comprehension dawn on her for a moment before she shut it out and resumed her usual expression. He wondered briefly if perhaps talking to the ever observant Robin had maybe been a bad idea. Oh well, it was too late to go back now.

He nodded. "I realized he's the only person in the crew, besides Brook, that I don't cater too at some point. It just didn't seem very fair is all."

Robin's smile was understanding with a hint of glee, like she'd just solved an especially difficult puzzle. "Well then, Cook-san, if I might make a suggestion?"

Sanji nodded encouragingly. "Of course Robin-swan! I'd be honored to receive your advice!"

"I think it's quite simple, Cook-san. Perhaps you should set Kenshi-san's plate up with a sample of everything, and be sure to observe his reactions to the food," Robin explained before picking up her book again. Cook-san could figure the rest out on his own, she was sure. It was sure to be an interesting day for meal times, she thought before resuming the history of the last island they had encountered.

"You're a genius, Robin-chwan!" Sanji cooed happily before setting about making a plate for Zoro before the others arrived.

* * *

Robin was very subtle in her breakfast time observations, but she was sure not to miss a pleasantly surprised swordsman flash a winning smile at a slightly blushing cook, before the two broke down into their usual banter. Joining Luffy's crew had been such a good idea, she reflected, everything on this ship was so fun. With that thought, she happily batted a straying rubber hand away from her plate and dug into breakfast.

* * *

**A/N:**

I was trying to capture something here...I'm not sure if it worked. Well hopefully it did! If not I need to practice more!

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews so far! I was very flattered that people actually liked what I had started! Hopefully I don't disappoint! Thank you all again!

This chapters out a little earlier than expected, because, well, I finished it earlier than expected. So I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love**

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

**2. Zoro is a sweaty Neanderthal.  
**Zoro spends all of his time lifting weights and generating sweat. Where does he think that goes? He barely bathes. It's unhygienic, and Sanji won't have it.

* * *

Sanji watched from the window of the galley as Zoro practiced sword movements with his weighted barbell on deck. He was banned from practicing them in the crow's nest after he swung the weight over his head and accidentally smashed it through the roof. Franky had lost it on the swordsman, and made it a mandatory rule that any sword stances were to be practiced in an open area, with at least two meters of clearance on all sides.

Sanji had been counting the swordsman's carefully controlled swings, but lost track after five-hundred. Honestly who needs to lift that much? Sanji sighed and tried to focus on the task at hand, making lunch. It was going to be a simple lunch; sandwiches, maybe some pasta salad. Nothing was going to get done, however, if he couldn't keep his eyes from wandering back to the muscled figure on the deck.

Sanji was not checking him out, though it would definitely look that way if anyone happened to catch him. Thankfully, his nakama were preoccupied elsewhere at the moment. No, Sanji wasn't admiring the shitty swordsman's figure. Instead he was fuming over the amount of sweat the bastard could produce.

It was warmer today than it had been the day before, the result of a summer island they were approaching, as the lovely Nami-san had predicted that morning. It was still a pleasant temperature, one that had most of the crew out on deck enjoying the warmer weather. The sun was noticeably warmer though, enough that the boys had all lost their shirts and the ladies were reclining under an umbrella to protect their lovely skin.

Sanji watched as another droplet of sweat ran down Zoro's back, dipping gracefully in and out of the curves of muscle as it went. Typically, such things didn't even register to Sanji. Lunch could have been prepared already, if the marimo bastard hadn't asked for a little of the cook's attention. Now his wish was being granted even against Sanji's will. Sanji sighed again; maybe he'd forgo the pasta salad for today, a regular salad instead perhaps. It'd be easier.

Sanji couldn't blame the marimo entirely. Why did he write the stupid list in the first place? Now every time he looked at the bastard he thought about Zoro and the list, and how if maybe the list didn't apply, Sanji and Zoro could—

"Damn this list," Sanji muttered to himself, shredding a head of lettuce.

The marimo swung the weights, and more sweat rolled down his body. The problem was not the sweat itself, or that Zoro worked himself so hard he was covered in sweat nearly every day. Sanji sort of admired that aspect of Zoro, not that he'd ever admit that out loud. The fact that the man strained his body every day in pursuit of his dream was admirable though, that level of dedication wasn't a common occurrence in people. So no, it was not really the sweat that was the problem. It was the fact that the shitty swordsman worked himself to a sweat nearly every day _and hardly ever bathed._ Where did Zoro think all that sweat went? Did he think it got magically whisked away by the sweat fairy during one of the moss-head's naps? No. Sweat made you sticky, greasy, and smelly.

With a crew of nine now, and only one washroom between them all, Sanji could accept that maybe a daily bath for all of them was a little ridiculous to imagine. The ladies, of course, bathed daily. He would expect nothing less from two such lovely flowers. He also bathed daily, a habit Zeff pounded into him as a child. No chef should ever enter a kitchen while covered in dirt. They had the responsibility of handling people's food. Who wanted to eat from the kitchen of some unwashed slob? No, daily baths were a must.

The rest of the crew was sure to bathe every few days, in alternating schedules so they didn't clutter up the washroom all day. All the crew, of course, with the exception of Luffy and Zoro. With Luffy at least, it was understandable. He was an idiot, and heaven forbid he have to spend anytime bathing when there were new games to invent and trouble to get into. He was far too simpleminded to comprehend why bathing was important.

Sanji followed another drop of sweat as it raced down from Zoro's temple, followed the defined line of his jaw, met with the sweat already collected there, and fell from his chin. Zoro on the other hand, should know better. He worked himself to a sweat every day. Didn't that feel disgusting? He must smell. That was the worst part of this for Sanji. It wasn't that Zoro sweated, or that he preferred to bathe only when he was forced. The problem was Zoro looked the part of a fearsome god; strong, handsome, and powerful...but he probably smelled like an old sock.

_What a turn off._

Sanji shook the thought from his head and made to set the table. Lunch was a half-assed effort on his part today, but maybe he could pass off the light salad and simple sandwiches as something lightweight for the hot day. Big meals didn't sit well when you were too hot, after all. He just hoped they'd trust his judgment as a cook.

With the table set and the meal spread out buffet style, Sanji called the crew to lunch. He waited at the door and watched them file in. Luffy of course wasted not even a second before he barreled in the door, followed immediately by Usopp and Chopper. Robin and Nami followed behind, thanking Sanji for the meal before they even saw it (How gracious they were!). Brook floated casually behind them and Franky not long after, wiping the grease from his hands with a dirty rag. Sanji sincerely hoped Franky didn't set that filthy thing on any surface of his kitchen except maybe the floor, but he had a bigger bone to pick at the moment.

The marimo came not long after Franky, finishing on a nice, even one-thousand reps. He made for the galley, but a long leg barred the doorway and stopped his progress before he could open the door. He followed the leg with an irritated gaze until he made eye contacted with an equally irritated cook.

"No dirty marimos in my kitchen," Sanji ground the cigarette between his teeth. "Bathe first or no lunch."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "What's the point? I'm just going to get dirty again after lunch," with that, he shoved the cook's leg from the door frame and made for the galley again.

Sanji wasn't having it though. The moment Zoro moved one leg, Sanji quickly spun and lashed out with the other, hitting Zoro square in the ribs. Or he would have, if the shitty swordsman didn't have such damn unbeatable reflexes. Still, the force of Sanji's kick sent Zoro skidding across the lawn.

"What the hell, Shit-cook?!" Zoro called, shaking out the arm he'd let take most of the impact.

Sanji calmly took a drag from his cigarette. "I'm telling you, take a bath first, shitty swordsman."

Zoro fixed him with a heated glare. "I just saw Franky go in there covered in God knows what!" He shouted defensively.

Sanji simply shrugged. "Franky at least bathes more than once a week, Marimo. Bathing is good. It keeps you from stinking like a dirty old sock."

A vein popped up in Zoro's head, he was annoyed now. "Are you telling me I stink, Shit-cook?"

"I believe that's what I'm implying. I'm surprised with you moss-level intelligence you managed to figure that out," Sanji sighed.

"Why you…"

Zoro moved to attack, but Sanji anticipated his actions. They'd been fighting for far too long for Zoro to have any moves Sanji couldn't guess. It was part of the reason they were so evenly matched. Neither had any trick up their sleeve that the other hadn't seen before, nothing to give them the edge in their almost completely even power struggle.

So when Zoro cast on of his swords off to the side, Sanji was completely caught off guard. He followed the movement with his eyes, and had enough time to think, '_what is that bastard doing_?' before he was flat on his back on the lawn with a heavy marimo on top of him.

"What the _hell_?" Sanji demanded.

Zoro smirked devilishly. His face was close enough Sanji could feel the swordsman's breath on his cheek. The last time they'd been this close, Zoro had come just a bit closer and—

Sanji fought the blush that was forcing its way onto his face and tried not to remember exactly how Zoro's lips felt. Instead he glared at the bastard on top of him and struggled to free himself from the pin the marimo had gotten him into.

Zoro leaned just slightly closer and Sanji froze. "Still think I smell bad, Shit-cook?"

Sanji hadn't thought about it, he'd been a little distracted by a few other things. Now though he gave it a moment's consideration. What did Zoro smell like? He didn't want to give the marimo the satisfaction of seeing Sanji smell him. He took a small sniff. _Hmm, that's odd._ Curiosity getting the better of him, he gave Zoro his way for once and inhaled a little more deeply. Zoro smelled like salt, certainly, but not the rank sweaty kind of salt. He smelled like the sea. Sanji lifted his head to get a little closer, his nose barely skimming the crook of Zoro's neck he inhaled deeply. Metal too, like the swords Zoro spent his entire day with. Also hint of musk that was entirely uniquely Zoro. Sea salt, metal, and musk, the combination was surprisingly mouth watering and Sanji inhaled deeply once more, intoxicated by the scent of Zoro.

"Cook," Zoro spoke, his voice slightly strained. "What are you doing?"

His voice broke the spell Sanji had been under. Sanji's head snapped back so fast he banged it on the ground. Wincing in pain he hoped Zoro wouldn't notice how red his face had become. "Smelling you, shitty swordsman. You don't stink that bad," Sanji mentally added '_or at all_,' "I guess you pass. Go get lunch, Marimo."

Zoro looked at him uncertainly for a moment before complying and releasing the cook. Sanji quickly lit a cigarette and took a deep stabilizing drag. From the galley door way, Zoro called back to him, "You coming, Shit-cook?"

Sanji pulled himself up. "Be right there, Idiot-marimo."

Zoro shrugged and joined he others, letting the door swing closed behind him.

Sanji took another long drag on his cigarette. His other hand rested thoughtfully on his pocket, fingers tapping the paper that resided within with some contemplation. Zoro smelled, huh?

"Fuck it," Sanji muttered. "That one's wrong too."

* * *

**A/N:**

Once again, I apologize for any and all spelling and grammar errors, and for any typos. There were a lot in the beginning part (I edited them out) but less towards the end. Now I'm worried maybe I just passed over and didn't see them.

So. This chapter was...hm...I'm not sure how I liked it. I reread it, and it seems okay. But maybe something it missing. This is just my own self analytic reflection, completely unimportant.

Thank you to those who have reviewed thus far! You're reviews have been wonderfully encouraging! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love**

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

**3. Zoro drank like a fish.**

There was no end to the amount of booze the marimo could consume. It was costly, unhealthy, and what appeal was there in a drunk?

* * *

"Cook! Where's the booze?" Zoro called, rifling through the pantry.

Sanji's eyebrow twitched in irritation. He was trying to take inventory of their supplies. The lovely Nami-swan had declared that they'd reach an island by tomorrow morning, and it may be their last chance to restock for a while. He needed to make note of what they had and make a list of what they would need for the journey ahead. However, the task was being made very difficult by a certain lazy swordsman in search of his after dinner drink.

"There's no booze for shitty marimos here," Sanji snapped, turning and recounting the items he'd just listed.

"Huh?" Zoro frowned, tearing his eyes away from his search for liquor to survey the angry cook. "What's got your tie in a knot?"

Sanji spun, using every ounce of his patience not to lose it on the marimo-bastard. He was trying his hardest to be more patient with Zoro…but some things just made him snap. Like Zoro's constant quest for alcohol. That was why tonight, Sanji hid the last of it just before dinner preparations. Maybe he was being petty (okay he was definitely being petty) but he'd had it with Zoro's habit of coming in and taking alcohol out of the pantry whenever he pleased.

He took a deep breath. "There's no booze, Marimo," He replied calmly, turning back to the task at hand.

"But we just had three bottles yesterday!" Zoro exclaimed. "I thought we had to save some of that shit for Chopper as emergency medical supplies."

"We do," Sanji replied simply.

"But we don't have any," Zoro repeated flatly.

"Not for you," Sanji said again, finishing up the cupboard he'd been counting and opening the next. The spice cupboard, Sanji frowned. He always dreaded taking inventory on the spice cupboard. Sanji had come to the Grand Line with an impressive amount of spices as it was, and during their adventures he'd collected far more as he encountered them. Some islands had rare or native spices he'd be unlikely to encounter again, and as a chef how could he pass that up?

It was a state of organized chaos in the cupboard. It was the only part of Sanji's kitchen that lacked order. Everything else was spotless, perfectly placed, and organized. The spice cupboard was...well...not. It looked like it'd been ransacked by pirates, which Sanji supposed it had, since he was in and out of it all day long. He knew what was in there; nothing was forgotten in the madness. Naturally, Sanji would never waste food, and certainly not something as valuable as his spices. Still, he looked at it forlornly, no matter how much effort he put into organizing it each time he took inventory it always looked disastrous by the next island.

"What a mess," A voice behind him stated.

"Obviously," Sanji muttered, turning to glare at the speaker. Of course he knew who it was; he'd recognize that nerve grating voice anywhere. "What are you still doing here, I thought you'd given up on the booze and fallen asleep somewhere inconvenient already."

Zoro didn't rise to Sanji's insults though; he just stood calmly behind the cook, surveying the cupboard. "Why does it look so bad? I thought you were freakishly obsessed with order?"

Sanji frowned. His mood had been sour since dinner when Franky had broken four plates while demonstrating a new invention. Precious Robin had tried to save them, but ended up with a cut on her delicate finger as a result. He was kind of hoping Zoro would pick a fight so Sanji could let off some steam, but the shitty swordsman was being unusually calm this evening.

"I need a spice rack," Sanji decided to let the fight go. If Zoro was in a good mood, Sanji wouldn't be the selfish bastard that ruined it for him. "The one I brought with me from the Baratie broke a while back, and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet..." He trailed off, glancing at the impressive array of spices before him. "Not that it would have held all of this anyway."

"Why don't you use your allowance to get one?" Zoro asked curiously, reaching past Sanji for a jar of spices to inspect. They're shoulders brushed, and Sanji fought to ignore the warmth that spread through his arm.

"Something always comes up," Sanji shrugged. "I usually end up giving some to Chopper for supplies he can't afford, or Franky if he needs something for the ship. Sometimes Usopp, if he's been good."

"And it never occurs to you to save it for what you need?" Zoro asked, giving Sanji and assessing look. "You're a moron."

"Shut it, bastard!" Sanji snapped. "Just because I don't spend all of my allowance on getting myself drunk like you do, it doesn't make me stupid!" He yanked the jar from Zoro's hand. "After I get all the necessities, I usually have plenty left over. My spices don't look pretty here but that's simple stuff. I think medical supplies, the ship's well being, and Usopp's weaponry takes precedence over the organization of my spices!"

Placing the jar carefully back in the cupboard, Sanji slammed the cupboard door shut. He slammed the pad of paper and pen he'd been making notes on onto the counter top. He'd finish the inventory tomorrow, for now he just wanted a hot bath and a good night's sleep. Without another word to Zoro he left the galley, letting the door crash sharply behind him.

* * *

Early the next morning an island appeared in the distance, just as Nami had promised. Usopp was on watch at the time and made sure they all knew it.

"Everyone up! I, the great captain Usopp-sama, have spied an island in the distance! I repeat, we are approaching an island! It is on the horizon! Everyone wake up and see the island that I, the great captain Usopp, have discovered!" His voice shouted excitedly into the loud speaker system Franky had assured them was a great idea. No one was so sure about that now.

"Usopp! Shut up or I'll come up there and make mince meat out of you for dinner tonight!" Sanji shouted in anger, kicking the mast and making the crow's nest above shudder.

"My apologies," Usopp's voice rang out weakly before he fell silent.

"Sanji! Don't kick the ship so hard, bro," Franky protested.

"I thought this wood was indestructible or something," Sanji frowned, tapping the mast again with his foot questioningly.

"Zoro already disproved that theory," Franky replied, shooting a look at said swordsman. "Apparently it's not indestructible when pitted against you people."

Zoro and Sanji shared a smirk behind the cyborg's back before Sanji quickly went to fawn over the freshly woken Nami-san and Robin-chan. Robin looked the same as she had before she'd gone to bed the night before, just as put together and neat, but in a different outfit. Nami on the other hand was adorably disheveled and still in her pajamas. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple of times as she tried to make sense of the scenery around her.

When she could finally see the island clearly, she turned and faced the crew with a confident smile. "We'll dock in one hour, so everyone be ready!"

With that the crew dispersed, each member getting ready for the day in their own way.

"Sanji-kun!" The lovely Nami-san called, halting him in his tracks.

"Yes, Nami-san?" Sanji turned, his eyes graced with the presence of her beauty.

"I know it's short notice, but will breakfast be done before we reach land?" She asked, charmingly of course.

"Of course my lovely Nami-swan! I would never dream of making you lovely ladies ready us for land and explore an island on an empty stomach!" Sanji danced around happily before adding, "Or the others either," as an afterthought.

"Glad to see we're in your thoughts, Shit-cook," Zoro muttered as he walked by.

Sanji chose to ignore him. The swordsman was beneath his notice when his wonderful Nami was speaking.

"Thanks, Sanji-kun!" She cried in relief (and probably a dash of admiration and love) before she met up with their captain to discuss proper behavior on the island.

Sanji watched her adoringly for a moment before he headed to the galley to start on a delicious breakfast for his crew. It would have to something quick…and he still needed to do his inventory. _Shit,_ he thought. Well, it was a good thing growing up in a busy kitchen had made him into a skilled multitasker. He rolled up his sleeves and grinned. There was no challenge in a kitchen that Black-Leg Sanji couldn't face.

Zoro watched the cook noodle over Nami with a bored expression. He'd been around the cook too long to bother being jealous, but it never failed to annoy him. He turned away from the scene of the idiot cook making...well...an idiot of himself, and looked up the main mast.

"Oi, Usopp!" He called when the sharpshooter finally emerged from the crow's nest.

Usopp looked fearfully down at the swordsman, Sanji's earlier threat still fresh in his mind. Of course he didn't actually think that Sanji would kill him, but Zoro calling for him was rare, and Zoro had some very sharp swords...perfect for dicing up humans...

Swallowing hard, Usopp mustered up what little bravery he could find and called back, "Yeah, Zoro?"

"Get down here," Zoro replied. "I need to talk to you."

Usopp trembled. No, surely his nakama...they wouldn't eat him...right? He was their friend! Even Luffy with his love of meat wouldn't really eat a friend, right?

Ah, no, Luffy would definitely eat him. That was a stupid question.

Resigning himself to his fate of being tonight's dinner, Usopp continued his way down the ladder. "Be right there," He told Zoro. He was quite proud of himself for keeping the tremor out of his voice. Of course he'd die bravely! He was Usopp, brave warrior of the sea!

* * *

"You want me to what?" Usopp asked for clarification. Zoro had pulled him into the cola store room, a nice, private place for a massacre. But Zoro didn't draw his swords. Instead, he did the unthinkable: He asked a favor.

"You heard me," Zoro grumbled, looking mildly put out. That was probably the Zoro version of embarrassed, which made this whole thing that much more confusing to Usopp.

"Yeah, I did," Usopp frowned. "I just don't believe I did." Zoro scowled and Usopp quickly changed tactic. "Sorry! I mean yes. Yes I can do that. But this is a really strange request…coming from you."

Zoro's face took on that embarrassed look again. "Yeah, well…just trying to do something nice."

Zoro didn't meet Usopp's eyes. The sharpshooter wasn't an idiot, and he seemed to be seeing right through Zoro's weak excuse. They stayed like that. Zoro avoiding Usopp's suspicious gaze and Usopp attempting to make complete sense of just what was going on right now.

Finally Usopp gave up. His suspicions got more and more bizarre as time went on, and none seemed at all plausible. With a sigh he set to the task at hand. "I'll need supplies," He said to Zoro. "And they aren't coming out of my allowance."

"No," Zoro agreed. "I'll buy them. Just make a list."

"Right," Usopp nodded, finding a slip of paper among his and Franky's messy work area. He stared at it thoughtfully for a few moments before he began to jot things down. "You know Zoro, this might really cost you," He added, glancing up again at the swordsman.

Zoro frowned, thinking it over for a moment before he shrugged. "It'll be fine. There's nothing I really need this time around."

Usopp nodded and tore the list from the paper. "Then bring me this stuff tonight and I'll get started."

"Thanks Usopp," Zoro accepted the paper from Usopp and turned to leave.

"Are you sick or something?" Usopp asked, watching the swordsman he knew would never take crap from anyone as he walked away.

"Or something," Zoro waved.

* * *

Breakfast consisted of the Straw Hat's traditional pre-landing meeting. The meeting usually involved Nami assigning tasks and distributing the allowances she'd put herself in charge of. She entrusted Sanji with some extra money for food, and made Chopper swear on his life that he wouldn't buy any books with the extra money Nami was giving him for medical supplies. Chopper agreed readily, but Nami wasn't so trusting when it came to money, so she called in Robin to threaten the little reindeer.

"Doctor-san," Robin smiled brightly. "You wouldn't betray Navigator-san's trust, would you?"

"Of course not!" Chopper cried indignantly.

"Doctor-san," Robin repeated. Her smile was still warm and friendly, but her was tone dangerous.

"I swear it!" Chopper swore shakily. "Please Robin!"

Robin nodded before turning back to Nami. "I think we can trust Doctor-san to keep his word this time."

Nami nodded and handed Chopper the extra money. "If I find out one beli of this was spent on books, you'll be in big trouble Chopper," She said finally, turning and leaving the little reindeer to run and find Usopp for support. Why did Sanji like the girls so much? They were scary!

"So Sanji and Chopper will get food and medical supplies, Franky and Usopp will get cola and spare lumber… and whatever else it is they play with all day long. Robin and I are going shopping. Luffy and Brook will probably be terrorizing the town..." She trailed off, shooting a scathing look at the pair. "And Zoro..." She paused, looking thoughtfully at the swordsman. No doubt he'd be off to the nearest bar for a drink and some booze for the long journey ahead. He was never any use when it came to getting supplies, he always got lost on the way back to the ship and usually ended up losing everything they'd purchased. It was a waste of time and money to send Zoro out on an important task...but maybe he could be useful somehow.

"Zoro, you go with Brook and Luffy. Maybe you can reign in their antics and keep us from getting chased out of town for at least a couple hours," Nami shrugged.

"I can't," Zoro protested simply. "I've got stuff to get."

"You can get your booze on the way," Nami replied irritably. "I'm sure you three will stumble upon a bar at some point."

"I'm not getting booze, it's something else."

The entire room froze. Sanji, in the act of refilling Robin's coffee, nearly dumped the entire pot of hot liquid into her lap. Chopper sputtered on the sip of juice he'd just taken and spewed a little bit on to Franky's plate. Franky didn't seem to notice, he was stock still with his fork half way to his mouth. Nami's eyes widened in shock, and Brook cocked his head slightly to the side in utter confusion. The only ones in the kitchen that didn't seem disturbed by this announcement were Usopp (though he still regarded the swordsman with disbelief, not believing he was actually serious), Robin (who giggled discreetly behind her hand), and Luffy (who took the opportunity presented by Zoro's distraction to steal off the other's plates).

Chopper was the first to break the silence. "Zoro, are you sick? Injured? You should have come to me when you first noticed something was wrong!"

"I'm fine Chopper," Zoro assured the little doctor before turning a scowl on the rest of the room. "And is it that weird that I might have something more important to spend my money on than alcohol?!"

"Yes," Nami replied, still in shock. "Yes it is."

"Tch," Zoro grunted in frustration. "Whatever."

"Sure you're okay, Marimo?" Sanji asked. "I thought you needed to soak in liquor daily in order to survive. Otherwise you might shrivel and die."

Zoro glared at the cook for a moment, a glare Sanji met readily, before he looked away. He didn't bother responding. One day he'd teach the shit-cook to shut his mouth once and for all, but that day was not today.

"Well..." Nami blinked, refocusing on the business at hand. "I guess it's just Brook and Luffy then," She shrugged, before beginning another lecture on proper spending habits.

* * *

They had the good fortune of landing on an island where no one immediately recognized them. It was a small island, with one simple but charming little town and plenty of wooded area for Luffy to be let loose in. The weather was pleasantly warm, enough so that Sanji decided to pass on his usual jacket and settled for a simple waistcoat instead. He enjoyed strolling along the main road with Chopper, stopping by a few shops to view their wares. The town was beautiful in its simplicity, small buildings painted a crisp white with a plethora of flowers lining the streets and adding a splash of color. It was a warm and welcoming town, with innocent, gracious people, and Sanji was glad that they were not the sort of pirates that pillaged such lovely places.

Shopping with Chopper was always a blessing. For one, Chopper's Walk Point was useful for carrying all their supplies conveniently. For another, he always attracted curious on lookers, and in a bonus for Sanji, most of these were women that were awed by Chopper's adorable appearance.

"He's adorable! Is he your pet?" One such lovely beauty asked when he and Chopper had wandered into her shop.

Or, bar as it turned out. It looked almost foreign to Sanji, as he was used to the bars the marimo frequented, dark, dank places with little sunlight and less than friendly patronage. This bar was warm and inviting, with wide windows that over looked the street outside and an inviting blue paint on the walls. It looked more like a café than a bar to Sanji, only the liquor lining the wall behind the counter gave away its true nature.

"He is a dear friend to me, mademoiselle," Sanji replied, bowing to the lady before him. He could feel Chopper radiating approval beside him and knew he's effectively complimented the little reindeer. Under a more private setting, he'd surely be calling Sanji and obnoxious bastard with a radiant smile on his face, but he was withholding in present company.

The young lady began an affectionate rubbing of Chopper's chin, which Chopper looked almost ashamed to be enjoying. Sanji spared him any embarrassment and moved to survey the wide assortment of alcohol behind the bar. Much of it was choice liquor that Sanji was surprised to see on the little island. He stared at it thoughtfully for a while before pulling the last of his money from his pocket. He'd already bought any food they could possibly need for a journey that could last weeks, and he'd given a great deal to Chopper for books. He was still a young boy after all, it would be a shame to deny him the chance to expand his knowledge (plus he couldn't resist those large eyes when they turned to him so pleadingly).

Still, he had a fair amount left over. Not enough for anything fancy like new knives or spices, or the extra large spice rack he so desired, but enough for a couple bottles of fine liquor.

"Excuse me miss," He called, interrupting the adorable scene behind him. "I have a purchase I'd like to make."

* * *

It took Zoro three hours to finally find a shop like Usopp had described. He was irritated, hungry, and questioning if any of this was really worth the effort when he finally did find it. Maybe he should have just bought the booze instead. It was going to be a long journey without it anyway.

"Can I help you, Sonny?" A boisterous voice called.

Zoro looked around for the speaker, seeing no one, until a little old man emerged from behind the counter. He was possibly one of the oldest things Zoro had ever seen (and he'd seen the ruins of a four-hundred year old city in Skypiea). He was bent at the waist, a knobby old cane probably the only thing keeping him from bending all the way to the floor, with a shiny bald head and skin spotted with age. His eyes though twinkled with a youthful mischief and his voice was loud and proud.

"Uh, I have a list," Zoro stammered, struggling to get the paper Usopp had given him from his pocket. Finally retrieving it, he passed it to the old man, who snatched it with surprising speed and strength.

The man unfolded the paper and read over the list before letting out a low whistle. "Well, that's quite a list," The man began to walk away and, not knowing what else to do, Zoro followed.

The man led Zoro to a back room nearly the size of the front of the shop. Shelves upon shelves of neatly stacked wood were layered floor to ceiling. "The paper here isn't specific, any idea what kind of wood you're looking for, Sonny?"

Zoro scratched at his head uncertainly. "I don't really know anything about wood..." He trailed off, thinking carefully. "It needs to be sturdy. We're sailors, and some of us can get pretty wild, so I don't want it to break easy..." He paused again. "But it has to be presentable."

The old man seemed to think this over for a moment before hobbling swiftly down the aisle. He grabbed a sliding ladder along the way, pulling it down to his destination before quickly climbing up. He didn't move like a feeble old man despite his appearance, Zoro noticed, and he pitied anyone who tried to underestimate this shop keeper.

The old man reached and pulled a sample down from the stack. "That presentable enough, Sonny?" He asked Zoro.

Zoro admired the fine grain of the wood for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that's great."

"Perfect," The old man nodded, pulling a stack of the wood down. "I hope you're ready for some heavy lifting, Sonny."

* * *

Zoro wandered the wrong way down the street, laden with supplies and catching a lot of attention. If he considered this part of his daily training, the weight didn't seem so bad, but the curious on lookers were starting to annoy him. Where the hell had the others moved the Sunny to?

No one could really be blamed for staring though. Zoro's unusual hair color and imposing aura drew enough attention as is. Couple that with the stack of wood he was supporting on one shoulder that was taking out street signs and the potted plants on people window sills and the swordsman drew attention better than a street performer.

"Are you okay, sir?" A young girl asked. She looked concerned, but not for the window he'd just broken. "You seem lost."

He frowned down at her, but had a weakness for short things with big brown eyes, so he let the imposing scowl fall from his face. "I'm fine, and I'm not lost my crew just moved the ship is all," He assured her with a quick pat on the head.

"Are you with the pirates that left their boat out in the cove?" She asked curiously. Then she turned and pointed back the way he had come. "'Cause if so you're heading the wrong way."

"Dammit," Zoro grumbled. "Thanks," He said, turning and heading back up the street he'd just come down.

"Good luck!" The young girl called after him.

* * *

It was dark when the marimo finally returned to the ship. The crew was enjoying a late dinner, exchanging stories about their experiences on this lovely little island. Turns out these people were even pretty accepting of a certain eight foot skeleton and his hyperactive rubber captain. Sanji had excused himself from the table, leaving the galley to smoke a cigarette. He listened to the cheerful banter from inside...and thought about Zoro.

It wasn't uncommon for the idiot marimo to be late for dinner when they landed. He had the worst sense of direction Sanji had ever had ever seen, and he was frequently lost around this time. Sometimes he didn't come back at all, and had to be found the next day. So really, it wasn't worth worrying about, but something on this island had Sanji on edge. It was so perfect, and the people were so friendly. The last time the people of an island had openly welcomed pirates, it'd been a trap to try and catch them. Of course Zoro could more than handle himself, but telling himself that didn't really settle Sanji's nerves. He'd feel much better if his whole crew, including a certain moss-head, were all together in one place.

A loud crash on the opposite side of the deck startled the cook from his thoughts. It was clear from the chatter inside that no one else had heard it. Sanji stared into the darkness, attempting to make sense of shapes on the deck. Whatever had let itself on board was a hulking, misshapen figure which Sanji couldn't place the shape of no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps it wasn't a creature? Maybe it was a man, laden with weapons...

Sanji slunk forward silently. He prided himself on his stealth, even in his nicest dress shoes he could creep along a wooden deck in near absolute silence. He carefully approached the strange figure, keeping his eyes and ears open to ambush.

The figure bent and another crashing sound was heard, though it was quieter, more controlled this time. It's back appeared to be turned and Sanji took another few steps closer, poised to attack the stranger before it could get the advantage on him or the crew.

Right as he moved to attack, the figure straightened up and turned to face him. "Shit-cook, what the hell are you doing?"

Sanji was too far into the motion of his kick to stop completely. Attempting to do so caused him to stumble forward, and he avoided face planting into the deck only by grabbing desperately at the nearest support he could find; Zoro's shoulders.

Zoro's arms automatically came up to steady the idiot-cook and they stood that way for a moment while Sanji tried to reel his mind back in and regain his composure. When he did he calmly stood again, releasing Zoro and going through the motions of lighting up a new cigarette, as his had been lost at some point during his 'attack'. Once he'd lit it and took a deep drag, he returned his attention to the swordsman.

"What. _The fuck._ Are you doing, Idiot-marimo?" He asked, his voice dangerously low.

"That's what I want to know, Shit-cook," Zoro countered. "I can't even board my own ship without being attacked?"

"Not when you come back hours late looking like some sort of deadly sea creature!" The cook spat. "What the hell is all of that?!"

Zoro looked behind him at the pile Sanji was gesturing to. He couldn't let the cook see it. How embarrassing would that be to explain? Instead he stepped in front of it to further block it from the cook's view. "None of your business," He grumbled, stubbornly folding his arms across his chest.

Sanji sputtered. "What?" He finally managed. "What the hell, Zoro?! You come back this late, when I've been worried about you for hours, and _you won't even explain what you're up to_?"

"Nope," Zoro shrugged. "Go back to the galley, Cook, I got stuff to do here."

Sanji stared at him in disbelief with just a splash of hurt, but Zoro wouldn't budge. Finally the cook surrendered, sliding his hands into his pockets and lowering his head. "Fine," He spoke softly, but with enough contempt in his voice to frighten a normal person. "Your dinner is in the fridge. Get it later," And with that, Sanji turned and headed back to the galley without sparing even a backward glance.

It would take the two of them a little while to make sense of what had just transpired. Sanji would realize his bitterness and hatred of the swordsman stemmed from hurt feelings. He'd realize he'd been genuinely worried for the swordsman, and that he'd practically shouted that at the other man. Zoro would realize the look on the cook's face was akin to betrayal, and he'd spend the rest of the night beating himself up for hurting the person he cared so much about.

Of course neither of them would ever admit these things out loud.

* * *

It was an awkward next couple of days for the Straw Hat crew. They had no idea of the events that had transpired between the swordsman and the cook, but they were awarded first class tickets to the resulting fallout.

Perhaps it was a blessing not to have the two going at each other with the waves of seeming hatred they were emitting. Surely the ship wouldn't survive. But after the first day, the crew agreed that seeing the two fight would be a relief, even if it cost them the _Thousand Sunny_.

Instead, the two seemed to pretend that one another didn't exist. There was always a plate of food in Zoro's spot when meals were served (of course, Sanji wouldn't let even his enemies starve), but when the cook refilled drinks or struck up conversation, he seemed not to notice the swordsman's presence in the room.

Zoro wasn't any better. If Sanji (or even the topic of Sanji's food) was mentioned in conversation, Zoro suddenly became deaf to the speaker until the subject changed. When meals were over Zoro would head to Usopp's workshop with the sharpshooter, and wouldn't appear again until the next meal time.

This wouldn't have been such a bad set up for the rest of the crew, were it not for the tense atmosphere it brought to the ship. Everyone was glad they'd docked at an island so they had a way to escape from the oppressive atmosphere. Nami had even considered renting them a room at the inn for a night, just so they all could escape the stupidity of the two men, but scrapped the idea when she heard the price per room.

It was on the third night that things finally reached their peak. Sanji was graciously catering to his crew, but the intense aura of violence and hatred he was emitting on this particular even seemed to even frighten Luffy out of eating too much. The cook's rage seemed to have something to do with the empty chair at the table where the swordsman usually sat. Sanji kept throwing hateful glances at it, as if doing so would make Zoro appear. No one, apparently not even non-existent people, missed a meal under Sanji's watch.

Finally the galley door opened, and the whole crew waited with bated breath to see what would happen. Many even set down their forks when they saw Sanji's shoulders stiffen. Something exciting was surely about to happen.

Zoro entered the galley and stopped just inside the door. "Oi, Cook," He called. "I need you for something."

Sanji's rigid form turned sharply, and several onlookers flinched from the look he gave the swordsman. "It's dinner time, Marimo," Sanji ground out around his unlit cigarette. He hadn't been without one the last few days, but he tried to spare the others during meal times. "Do you know what that means? Probably not. I'll explain it simply so your moss clogged brain understands," He took a step closer and the swordsman instinctively stepped back. "It means you sit down, shut up, and eat the food I made for you out of the goodness of my heart."

"I will," Zoro said, glancing at his plate. It had clearly been ravaged by Luffy. It was a shame, Zoro hated to miss out on Sanji's cooking, but there were more important things going on at the moment. "But I just need you to come with me for a minute."

Sanji's face turned a startling shade of red. "I said sit down and eat, Shitty-marimo!"

Zoro scowled. He knew how stubborn the cook could be, especially when he was angry. He had lived with it the past couple days, just in case he'd forgotten. He both loved and hated that stubborn streak. Right now, he especially hated it.

So if he couldn't get past the cook's stubborn nature, he'd have to make the most of the bastard's pride. "Fine," Zoro sighed in defeat. "I'll eat that shit you call food."

The room was deadly still and silent. So silent, you could almost hear the final straw snapping the back of the resident cook. For a long, drawn out, suspense filled moment no one ever dared to breath lest they break the spell.

Then it broke as Sanji launched himself at Zoro. "I'll kill you, you bastard!"

Zoro took off like a rocket, the cook hot on his heels. Zoro was genuinely afraid for his life; nothing could stop the cook in a rage. Even if he used all three swords, Zoro doubted he could hold out against Sanji. Plus the cook was _fast_. Of course he was, all of his power was in his legs. Zoro just had to make it to Usopp's workshop and he'd be safe. Knowing that he pushed a little harder, working up to a full blown sprint, ducking and weaving through the ship, hoping to delay Sanji with obstacles and corners.

Sanji easily kept up with Zoro. He was really going to kill that slimy, useless, shit-ball headed bastard. Zoro ducked quickly into a doorway and Sanji nearly shouted in rage. He knew what that asshole was trying to do. He was trying to lose Sanji by making quick turns and unpredictable movements, by ducking through doors and sliding through tight openings. Did the shit-swordsman really think so little of him? Did he really think he would be able the slow him down by making a quick left? Sanji prided himself on his agility. It was part of what gave him an advantage over Zoro's raw power. Did the bastard really underestimate him that much?

Zoro skidded to a stop once he made it to Usopp's workshop. He was winded and panting, but hardly had a moment to catch his breath before Sanji rounded the corner and plowed right into him.

"What the fuck, Shitty-marimo!" Sanji groaned, untangling himself from the man he'd so ungracefully run over. "Why the hell are you just standing there?! I really will kill you, you useless, stupid, shitty-"

"Cook, shut up," Zoro hissed as he sat up. He could feel bruises forming from the collision. Damn the cook's bony elbows. "And use your damn eyes."

"Use my eyes for what? Shi-" But the rest of the insult died in Sanji's mouth.

There leaning against the wall was a shelving unit. It was large, maybe one and a half meters tall and a meter wide, in some a fine quality medium brown wood. The corners and joints of the shelves were secured with polished silver fastenings, and there was a beautiful ocean view design carved with a hot iron into the panel at the top. The whole thing had been polished to perfection and was one of the most beautiful and pristine pieces of furniture the cook had ever laid eyes on.

"It's a spice rack," Zoro explained. "For you."

"Seriously?" Sanji asked in awe. He stepped closer to better admire the piece of art he would be calling his spice rack. Brushing his fingers lightly over the design at the top, he turned to look at the swordsman. "You did this?"

"Well, Usopp did most of it," Zoro replied scratching at the back of his head. "I helped a little, or maybe I hindered. Do you know how bossy and serious he gets about this stuff?"

Sanji ignored the question. "This is what you couldn't tell me about."

"Ah, yeah," Zoro frowned. "I'm sorry about that, but I wanted it to be a surprise."

Sanji turned back to the spice rack. "This is what you spent your booze money on," He stated.

Zoro shrugged. "Yeah, I had to get the supplies. It's no big deal though. I can get booze another time, it's not like I need it," He gestured to the rack. "You, on the other hand, actually needed this."

Sanji turned away from the spice rack and walked towards the swordsman. Zoro froze in uncertainty as Sanji approached. He wondered if Sanji was going to kick him through the wall, but the cook was completely unreadable at the moment.

Sanji approached the swordsman slowly until he was only a few inches from the other man. Without a single word, Sanji buried his face into Zoro's shoulder. "I'm sorry," He spoke, his voice muffled by the swordsman's shirt. "I was an ass," As he spoke, his hands that had been hanging limply at his sides slowly came to grip the fabric at Zoro's waist. "Thank you."

Zoro's heart soared at the cook's actions. It was almost a hug, which coming from the cook was a huge thing. He wrapped his arms around Sanji's shoulders and held the other man close. "I'm sorry too. I probably could have done a better job hiding it, without sounding like such an ass."

Sanji stayed that way for a moment longer, enjoying the warmth of Zoro's arms, before he pulled himself together and released the swordsman. "Well, it's over now," He pulled away and turned back to the spice rack. "I love it. Is it seriously for me? You're not just fucking around are you?"

Zoro laughed. "No, it's really for you. Who else would need such a ridiculously large spice rack?" He watched Sanji trace the waves of the ocean on the top of the rack. Usopp really did do a fantastic job on it. He would have to remember to take it easy on the sharpshooter for a little while. "If you want, I could help you hang it in the kitchen and put your spices on it."

Sanji looked at the swordsman in awe. Was Zoro always like this? So sweet and generous? Maybe he was, Sanji reflected. He always seemed to take care of people when they needed it. Beneath his gruff exterior and sometimes harsh and unforgiving nature, Zoro was a generous and giving individual. Before now Sanji just hadn't let himself see that side of Zoro, but now it seemed so painfully obvious, Sanji wondered how he'd missed it.

"Yeah," Sanji nodded, beaming at the marimo. "I'd like that."

* * *

With the spice rack hung and the spices carefully assorted on it (Sanji did all the directing, Zoro just had to place the jars precisely where the cook pointed) Sanji stood back to admire the new addition. With the jars of spices neatly organized it, the spice rack looked even more beautiful, and Sanji couldn't help but wonder how the marimo had come up with such an outstanding idea.

Sanji watched Zoro admire their work as well. This shitty swordsman hadn't had a drink in three or four days. He hadn't complained, or barged into the kitchen looking for booze...instead he helped make something for Sanji. Why? Because he knew Sanji liked order in his kitchen and knew the disorderly spice cupboard annoyed the cook? Was this a ploy to try to impress Sanji into accepting his confession? No, that definitely wasn't it. Zoro wasn't that clever, and even if we were, he should know Sanji wasn't that easy. No, the only explanation that made sense was that Zoro wanted to do something nice for Sanji, for no other reason than he could.

And that was by far the most ridiculous thing Sanji had ever thought up.

"Hey, Marimo," Sanji called the swordsman's attention away from the rack.

Said swordsman turned and looked inquisitively at Sanji.

"Have a drink with me?" Sanji asked. Without waiting for a response Sanji headed toward the pantry and retrieved a bottle of liquor.

"I thought we were out," Zoro's eyebrows raised in surprise.

Sanji poured himself a generous serving and handed Zoro the bottle. "I bought some our first day here," Sanji explained. "It's only three bottles, so make them count," Sanji said, raising his glass to the swordsman before taking a sip.

Zoro frowned at the bottle in his hands. "They're for me?"

"Do I look like someone who needs three bottles of liquor to myself?" Sanji smirked. "Yes they're for you."

"You bought me booze?" Zoro asked. He looked pathetically lost, as if he were a small child learning a major life lesson for the first time.

Sanji snorted, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed he looked away from the swordsman. "Well, yeah, I had some spare cash and you said you weren't getting any...so I thought you might like it."

It was quiet for too long and Sanji chanced a look at the silent marimo. He could feel his face flush when he saw the other man smiling broadly at him.

"Damn," Zoro finally said, his voice cheerful and bright. "I'm completely in love with you."

Sanji's eyes widened at the blatant statement. He was beet red and entirely too pleased to hear the words come from Zoro's mouth. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Yeah, yeah," He finally managed, proud of himself for sounding so nonchalant. "Finish your drink and let's head to bed. I'm tired, Marimo."

Zoro's smile never faded but he nodded in agreement and took another swig from the bottle.

* * *

As Sanji lay in his hammock that night he thought about the events of the last few days. His reactions and emotions startled him. It was almost like he really cared what Zoro thought of him...

Another thought occurred to Sanji. Despite the fact that Zoro could easily pound down two or three bottles of booze in a day, he had only taken a few swallows from his bottle before he called it a night. Sanji expected after almost a week without, Zoro would have downed the whole bottle in desperation but...maybe the swordsman didn't need alcohol that badly after all.

* * *

**A/N:**

Phew. Well, that was...long winded. Sorry about that! As I was writing it, I was thinking "What am I doing?! When does this end?!" and it just kept going and going...

I thought about splitting it into two parts, but when I found a good place to make the split, I realized there's still be 6k+ words in one chapter and only a thousand or so in the other...and it just didn't seem right. So I apologize, but I left it long. I wish I could say this won't happen again, but I make no promises. Sometimes my writing gets a mind of it's own. I know where it's going but it takes a much longer path to get there than I thought it would.

Anyway! Thank you all so so much for your reviews! They made me all warm fuzzy and tingly happy. Seriously thank you, without you guys my joy in writing this would be halved. Keep them coming so I know how I'm doing :)

Also, I'm going to an anime convention this weekend, Thursday through Sunday, and will be away from my computer. I won't be able to write or update, so the next chapter may be a little more delayed. But it will come! I wanted to get this posted before I left, and part of the reason I decided to leave it as ridiculously long as it is. I thank you in advance for your patience.

And once again I apologize for the grammar and spelling errors and typos! They are sure to be numerous despite my best efforts. That concludes this (long winded, like the chapter) author's note!


	5. Chapter 5

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love**

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**4. Zoro is lazy**

Everyone on this ship pitched in and did chores, except the marimo. Zoro did little more than sleep and lift weights.

* * *

Sanji prepped and cooked all their meals, and kept the galley exceptionally clean.

Nami kept their log book and tended to the lawn and trees.

Robin did their laundry.

Chopper kept their medicines stocked and cleaned boys bunk room.

Usopp cleaned the washroom.

Franky did daily ship maintenance.

Brook cleaned the crow's nest and dusted the store rooms.

And even Luffy, who wasn't to be trusted with anything that might bore him for too long, swept and mopped the deck every few days.

The only member of the crew who did not have a set chore, and really didn't help out much at all, was Zoro. Sanji wasn't sure when that had happened. He wasn't used to paying too much attention to the marimo's daily activities. Now that he couldn't get the damn bastard out of his head, however, all the little things seemed to come into sharp focus. Little things like the way Zoro never did chores.

Once upon a time, when they'd still had the Merry, Zoro manned the anchor every day. He was in charge of dropping it and raising it when needed. The Sunny didn't need someone to do that though. Thanks to Franky's technology the anchor could be raised or lowered at the flick of a switch, rendering Zoro's one and only chore obsolete. While the rest of them set about their daily tasks, Zoro was usually napping or hiding away with his weights.

Sanji chewed on the butt of his cigarette while he washed their breakfast dishes. They'd be disembarking tomorrow, and most everyone had left to stretch their legs on dry land one last time before they set sail. Sanji didn't mind being left behind, he'd have loved to escort the lovely ladies as they did their last minute shopping, but he cherished the quiet of the ship without the antics of their rambunctious captain and his band of merry men. He wasn't sure who had left and who had stayed, but he knew he was enjoying a little peace and quiet while he could.

He always found a sort of peace in washing dishes. It was a little like meditation for him. His hands went through motions he barely needed to think about to carry out, and his mind was free to wander and find a happy place. That was usually the case, but today his mind was on the marimo again. It wasn't fair that the moss head got away with doing nothing when even the ladies had to sully their hands and pitch in on the upkeep. Surely there was something for that bastard to do...

Though to be fair (and Sanji would never mention this outside of the safety of his own mind) the marimo did work hard in his own way. Whenever trouble struck, Zoro was always the first one in line to defend the ship and crew. He could sense danger a mile off, and put his life on the line to keep it away from his nakama. When he compared that to petty things like dishes and laundry, it didn't seem like such a big deal if Zoro wanted to take a nap instead.

Sanji put the remains of his poor abused cigarette in the ashtray on the counter and dried his hands off on a dishtowel. He sighed. Finding his happy place wasn't going to happen when he had those kinds of things on his mind. Dishwashing wasn't doing its job of relaxing him at all. He leaned back against the counter, shooting a glare at the soapy water as if it were the reason for all his troubles.

Why did it matter anyway? It wasn't as if any of them were struggling with their chores. They all still had plenty of free time to do the things they wanted to do, sometimes too much free time in the case of the younger members of the crew who were always managing to get into trouble. So what if the marimo napped instead of cleaning? It wasn't like Sanji had even noticed until this point, and he was willing to bet the others hadn't either.

Sanji sighed again and pushed off the counter. The best way to solve this problem would be to fix it himself right?

He exited the galley and peered across the deck. It was empty, as expected given the silence he'd been enjoying. Still, he knew not everyone had left the ship entirely. Zoro in particular wasn't big on crowds or people, and the people of this island were way too friendly for the marmio's taste, Sanji was sure.

"Oi! Marimo!" He called loudly. Wherever it was that Zoro was hiding, he'd probably hear the cook.

Sure enough, a window in the crow's nest opened and a green head stuck itself out. "What do you want, Shit-cook?" Zoro frowned at the cook below him.

"Get down here and help me finish the dishes!" Sanji called back before he turned around and reentered the galley.

He picked up the washrag and pulled a plate from the soapy water. He had no idea if Zoro would listen to him or not. Probably not, Sanji thought, after all he wouldn't have listened if Zoro suddenly demanded something from him. He wasn't going to pick a fight about a spur of the moment urge to have the marimo pitch in. He'd just wait and see what Zoro would do.

He glanced at his newly hung spice rack. The marimo _had_ been full of surprised lately after all.

As if on cue with his thoughts, the door of the galley swung open and Zoro appeared, looking mildly confused, in the doorway. "You wanted help?" He asked uncertainly, as if he were thinking that maybe he'd imagined their previous exchange.

"Yeah," Sanji nodded, tossing him a clean towel. "Will you dry for me?"

Zoro nodded silently and made his way to the sink, picking up the first dish and drying it carefully before setting it aside. They worked together in silence and Sanji was at ease again, enough so that he could feel himself slipping into the routine motions with ease and his mind wandered into its usual peaceful place.

As they neared the end of the dishes, Zoro broke the silence. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked.

Sanji's eyes widened in surprise and he took a moment to recover before he replied. "I'm fine, why?"

Zoro eyed him closely, trying to detect the hint of a lie or farce in his reply. Finding none, he gave a half shrug. "It's unusual for you to ask for help. Especially in the kitchen, since you don't really trust us not to destroy this stuff," He gestured to the various cooking implements Sanji had around.

It was true, his pots and pans, his knives, even his dishes (though he'd long since learned not to get too attached to those) were dear to him. His favorite cooking tools were as valuable to him as Zoro's swords were to the swordsman, or the straw hat was to their captain. He truly didn't like people touching them...but he'd invited Zoro to do so.

"Well," Sanji concentrated hard on the pan he was cleaning to avoid the blush he could feel building up the back of his neck. He willed it not to reach his face, but he was losing that battle tremendously. "If it's you, I don't really mind."

Zoro froze mid towel swipe. He didn't move for what felt like forever, which made the whole thing that much more embarrassing. _Damn the marimo, _Sanji cursed. He kept his head down and let his hair cover as much of his face as it could. He knew without a doubt he was flame red. _Doesn't he know he's just making this worse?_

Finally Zoro moved, setting the plate he'd been drying aside and picking up another. He cleared his throat before he tried speaking again. "Seriously?" He finally managed to ask.

Sanji thanked the heavens Zoro had decided to avoid looking at him. Instead, the marimo began to intently stare at the dishes he was drying. Sanji did the same to those he was washing, but answered clearly. "Yeah, seriously. I trust you," He said.

Zoro dropped the mug he'd been drying. It landed with a loud crash into the sink. Fortunately it didn't break, and it managed to barely avoid hitting the other dishes, but Zoro still fumbled apologetically. "Shit! Sorry," He scooped the mug up and examined it for cracks or chips before drying it again and placing it carefully off to the side.

Sanji couldn't help but laugh. "Well gee, Marimo, I didn't know my trusting you in my kitchen was that repulsive of a thought." He glanced sidelong at the other man. "So bad you had to try to break it right away, huh?"

"No!" Zoro cried. His panicked gaze met Sanji's. "It's fine! Really, it was an accident! I didn't mean-"

"Calm down moss-brain," Sanji chuckled again. "I know you didn't mean to."

Zoro took a deep breath. "I'm happy," He paused before looking Sanji in the eye. "That you trust me in your kitchen, I mean."

The blush that had finally subsided from Sanji's face came back with full force. He quickly looked away to hide it, but not before Zoro got a good eyeful. He knew what he'd just admitted to the marimo. He'd told him he trusted him with his precious treasures. It was stupid, really that the one person he trusted his most treasured items to was the man who couldn't walk a straight line without getting lost. But he also knew Zoro understood how precious Sanji's kitchen was to him. It wasn't that the others didn't know Sanji put a high value on his cooking utensils, but they didn't seem to understand exactly how much they meant to him. Zoro though, somehow understood.

Sanji frowned thoughtfully at the dish water below him. He sensed Zoro shooting curious glances at him a couple of times, but in another act of surprising insightfulness on the marimo's part, he remained silent and let Sanji organize his thoughts in peace.

"Oi, Marimo," Sanji finally spoke.

"Hm?" Zoro replied, setting aside the dish he'd been drying and giving Sanji his attention.

Sanji looked at the swordsman contemplatively. "Would you be willing to help me out? More than just today? It really helps to have another set of hands, and I'll have more free time to make menus and inventory ingredients and what not."

"Sure," Zoro replied easily. "Whenever you need help just let me know, I'll come help."

Sanji smiled; a wide, genuine smile that Sanji hadn't let loose in a long while. "Really? You know it might cut into your nap times. You might have to put the weights down every once in a while."

Zoro smirked. "Ah, what a pain in the ass. No can do then," He shrugged before making to leave the galley.

"Hold it!" Sanji called, grabbing the marimo's arm before he could get away. "It's too late for you to go back on your word!" He smirked devilishly. "You're a slave to my demands now."

Zoro seemed to think it over for a minute. "Damn my mouth," He replied, but his face was a warm smile. "I guess I'll be at your service," He gave a sarcastic bow. "Any time you need me, master."

Sanji blushed again, but this time he wasn't entirely sure why. Except...well, Zoro playing the part of a servant to him...

Sanji quickly brushed the thought away before it did things to him. "Yeah, yeah," He grumbled, giving Zoro a light shove. "Help me put this shit away so I can start on lunch for the returning mob, Shitty-marimo."

"Whatever you say, Shit-cook," Zoro beamed.

* * *

Zoro was true to his word. After meals, the swordsman always stayed to help Sanji clean up. The really amazing part was after they'd set sail again, and everyone was settling into their usual routines. Sanji had to wake Zoro from a nap to ask him to help clean up the breakfast mess. Zoro yawned and stretched, but complied easily without complaint. When they'd finished, Sanji sent Zoro off to finish his nap.

Zoro never complained when Sanji asked for help, which he found himself doing more and more just to test Zoro's limits. On the contrary, the swordsman seemed happy to help, even though helping meant having to spend extra time with Sanji and frequently kept him from his usual hobbies. They bickered as usual for them while they worked, but there was an almost playful air to their arguments. It wasn't long before Sanji noticed he was starting to enjoy their time together as well.

A week later, Sanji stood alone in his kitchen, leisurely smoking a cigarette during the lull between meals. He really should be starting on the next meal, but he just needed a moment to think. There was one undeniable truth that had come to the surface during their stay on the last island. It had been growing immensely since then, and while Sanji hated it and didn't want to admit it, he could only lie to himself for so long though before he gave up.

The one truth that could never be uttered was this: Black-Leg Sanji, member of the Straw Hat pirates, was undeniably attracted to and most definitely falling for Roronoa Zoro.

* * *

**A/N:**

I am back! I thank you all so much for your patience! The convention was a BLAST. And I may have come back with a couple of ZoSan doujinshi... :D

Thank you all SO SO much for the reviews! I was so happy. I read them and reread them because they made me so happy, so thank you very much!

Ah...this chapter was pure...fluff. It was so sweet it gave me a tooth ache. But that's okay right? Fluffy is okay sometimes too, right? Right! It also went back to being a little short, but the way I'm writing this story out, I've realized chapter length is just gonna be sporadic that way.

One more announcement, I'll be starting overnights soon. It doesn't really mean much, because I usually write at obscene hours of the night anyway, but in case the next chapter takes another week or something, that's probably why.

As always, please forgive the grammar and spelling errors and typos. Unless they are REALLY frequent and bothersome, then by all means please correct me.


	6. Chapter 6

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love **

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**5. Zoro is disrespectful to the ladies**

Regardless of who they are, women always need to be treated with the utmost respect. Especially lovely ladies like Nami and Robin.

* * *

"Nami-swaaan! Robin-chwaaan!" Sanji called happily, pushing through the galley door, his arms laden with dishes. He twirled happily to two beautiful angels that were enjoying a game of cards on the lawn. "I have snacks fit for the goddesses that you are!"

"Thank you Sanji-kun," Nami smiled, accepting one of the trays from him.

"How very sweet of you to bring them to us, Cook-san," Robin added, lifting the lid off the serving tray and revealing a colorful and varied array of snack time items.

"Anything for you beautiful ladies!" Sanji replied, basking in the warmth of their presence.

Of course, the word 'snack' tended to catch attention faster than the word 'marines' on this ship. "Sanji! Where's mine?!" Luffy cried, vaulting himself quickly to the lawn deck and practically drooling on Sanji's shoulder while he eyed the women's food greedily.

"Your food's in the galley!" Sanji said, pushing his gluttonous captain away. "Chopper is bringing it out."

As if on cue, the galley door opened again and Chopper appeared, carrying a tray of meats and cheeses for the men in the crew. Luffy wasted not a second, immediately disappearing from Sanji's side and reappearing at Chopper's, harassing the little reindeer as he tried to bring the food to the others.

Sanji sighed, glad to be rid of that hassle. He turned to return to devoting his attention to the ladies, and noticed there was a new addition to the group.

"These are good," The marimo commented, mouth full of food. "How come you never make these for us?"

Time seemed to freeze. There were rules about food; they had been in place ever since Sanji had first joined the crew. The first rule was of course, don't ever waste food. That was rarely an issue on this ship, with Luffy around to quickly snatch up any unwanted scraps, but it was Sanji's most important rule. The second rule was never skip a meal. If you were conscious and alive, you'd better be eating. Sanji didn't accept people rejecting food just because. Finally, the third rule, a rule that even Luffy abided by out of fear of death, was never touch any food specially made for the ladies. It was this third and final rule that Zoro was so blatantly breaking at this very moment.

"What the hell are you doing, shit-swordsman?!" Sanji shouted.

Zoro looked up at him from his seat between Nami and Robin. "Having a snack? What does it look like?"

Sanji grit his teeth. "Those snacks were for the ladies," He ground out in a dangerously quiet voice. He was shaking in rage and everyone on the ship could feel the hum of his compiling energy, storing up and ready for the chance to launch an attack.

The other men had wisely disappeared from sight.

"They don't mind, right?" Zoro asked, looking from Nami to Robin.

Robin giggled adorably and replied, "Of course not, Kenshi-san, help yourself."

"Yeah," Nami shrugged, looking at Sanji with some confusion. She clearly didn't understand the severity of the situation. "There's more here than we can eat."

"See, Cook-san?" Robin turned back to Sanji, hoping to placate his mood before something got broken. It would be a shame if it were something like the spice rack Zoro had just had made for the cook. She smiled warmly. "It's no bother to us to share with Kenshi-san."

"Thanks," Zoro said to the girls, standing and patting his stomach. "They were really good," And with that he turned to resume whatever it was he'd been doing before he'd decided to shorten his life by incurring Sanji's wrath.

"Hold it!" Sanji snapped, stopping the marimo in his tracks. Zoro turned and gave Sanji an inquisitive look. It was so innocent that it pissed Sanji off even more. "In the galley, now, Marimo," The cook gritted out. "We need to talk."

Zoro let out a heavy sigh but shrugged and turned to follow. _What a shame,_ Robin thought, _poor Zoro's efforts will have gone to waste on that spice rack._ She sighed sadly once, before returning to her game with Nami.

* * *

When Zoro entered the galley, he expected a violent reaction from the cook. You would think after wasting all this precious booze money on that shitty spice rack, the idiot cook would treat him with at least a shred of decency. Well, okay, truthfully the cook had been…different lately. On the surface nothing between them had changed, but something was different. Instead of insults designed to piss Zoro off, Sanji's insults seemed to have a more playful quality...or maybe that was just the swordsman's wishful thinking.

Zoro had been pushing it a little bit, eating off the girls' tray. He knew Sanji hated that more than anything (except maybe wasting food altogether). He'd been so confused lately, unsure of where exactly he and cook stood. Surely the cook couldn't hate him anymore, he wouldn't let him near the galley if he did, and Sanji himself had invited Zoro to help him out with the dishes and even the occasional meal prep. So no, the cook couldn't hate him, but that didn't exactly clear up their relationship to the swordsman at all. So he might have been pushing the cook's buttons a little, just to see what boundaries were still between them.

Apparently interfering with the girls was still one of those boundaries. The love-cook didn't kick him back through the doorway, the moment he pushed the door open, which was a good sign. That was about the end of Zoro's lucky streak though, as he watched the cook take a deep drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out in a nearby ashtray. He exhaled, obscuring himself from view for a moment in a haze of smoke. To the untrained eye Sanji was calm, cool, and collected; the poster boy of those traits, really. But to anyone who knew him he was a ticking time bomb, just waiting for the right moment to burst.

The wisest thing to do in this situation would be to keep your mouth shut, but Zoro would never just sit back and let Sanji run the show like that. "Did you want something, Shit-cook?"

"What the hell were you thinking, you shitty-swordsman?" Sanji grit out. The tension radiating from the cook increased, and Zoro had to stop himself from laughing. The idiot could get worked up over nothing so easily it was amusing.

"I was thinking I was hungry and you called for snacks, what's the problem?" Zoro shrugged, feigning complete ignorance. That was the surest way to piss the cook off. It was inevitable anyway; Zoro figured he may as well have his fun with it.

"The problem," Sanji snapped and Zoro knew he had won his little game. "Is that you're a disrespectful, idiotic, shit-brained, moss-headed asshole!"

Zoro really couldn't keep from smirking now. The cook was an expert insult creator; each one was even more ridiculous than the last. If one could get him going long enough it was one of the funniest things Zoro had ever heard. "I don't know what you're talking about, Love-cook," Zoro said. "But it's clear you're upset about something."

Sanji's face reddened in absolute rage and Zoro braced himself for the attack that was to come. Sure enough, the cook didn't hold back; spinning gracefully and with lightening fast speed, a deadly foot made contact with the flat of the blade of one of Zoro's swords. The swordsman hardly needed to worry though, an angry Sanji was predictable and sloppy in a fight, no challenge at all for Zoro. It was when the cook came at him calmly that Zoro needed to worry.

For now though Zoro could easily keep the cook at bay. The kicks were powerful, but Zoro easily blocked or dodged them. It wasn't long before Sanji realized this and let up on his attack. He stood before the swordsman, winded and panting slightly as a result. Zoro had hardly moved and looked completely unaffected by the exchange of blows. Sanji wiped at the droplets of sweat that had made their way down his face and smirked. "That's it, you bastard," He said before spinning quickly and lashing out again.

This time though, he caught the swordsman by surprise, hitting him with enough force to send him flying through the galley door where there was more space for a proper fight. Less chance of property damage too. He quickly followed, hoping to land another attack before the swordsman could right himself.

* * *

The rest of the crew had gathered on the lawn deck to enjoy their snacks together and join in on cards. Nami was taking bets, and earning herself a nice little profit off the simpler members of the crew (Luffy especially was a gold mine at the moment). Their attention was caught by a loud crash and a blur of green as their swordsman went flying from the galley.

"Was that Zoro?" Usopp asked when the figure disappeared from their view. It landed with a loud bang somewhere beyond their field of view.

"I think so," Nami commented, drawing another card from the deck. "And here comes Sanji."

Sure enough the cook quickly darted from the galley, following the body that had just flown by and also disappearing from view. There were several bangs and crashes resonating from his destination and the others watched in interest for a moment to see if they would reemerge.

"They're fighting again, yohohoho!" Brook remarked with a laugh.

"It's a good thing they left the galley," Franky smiled. "I think their finally respecting the ship a little, ow!" He cheered happily.

"As long as they don't hurt each other," Chopper added with some concern.

Luffy laughed. "Of course they won't! They're just playing."

"Uh, their 'play' is a scary to normal people, Luffy," Usopp frowned.

"As long as they don't break anything, who cares?" Nami shrugged.

"And the spice rack will be safe," Robin added. The others stared at her in confusion for a moment, but she simply laughed it off and revealed her hand, prompting the others to do the same. They followed her lead and the game recommenced, the fighting duo forgotten.

* * *

"Had enough shit-swordsman?" Sanji panted out, a victorious smirk on his face. He'd successfully pinned the swordsman in a leg lock he couldn't force his way out of. He struggled against it, but his brute force was no match for Sanji's technique.

Zoro never replied, but Sanji took that as answer enough. "While I've got you here, I'm going to talk and you're going to listen," Zoro made to speak but Sanji put more pressure down on the swordsman's thigh, and all that came out of the idiot's mouth was a gasp of pain. "You're going to listen, because if you don't I'll break your leg, Marimo," Sanji added lightly, a self satisfied smile making his way onto his face. It was a great feeling to have bested the swordsman, though the bastard had it coming. He'd set his swords aside and smugly declared that he could defeat the cook with his bare hands. That, Sanji supposed, hadn't really worked out the way the bastard had thought it would.

"You're going to apologize to the ladies," Sanji said, easing up just slightly on the hold so Zoro could hear him out clearly. "And you're going to start showing them some respect, got it bastard?"

Zoro, despite his situation, laughed. "I show them plenty of respect, Shit-cook. You're the one that doesn't respect them," He winced again as Sanji put pressure down on his leg.

"Excuse me?" The cook asked incredulously.

"You heard me," Zoro ground out. "You prance around and harass them all day, force yourself on them, treat them like they're incompetent and weak. Who's the one disrespecting them, Love-cook?"

Sanji glared down at the bastard. He had half a mind to break the idiot's leg just to inflict some pain, but then he'd have to bring the shitty-marimo's meals to him, and he wasn't going to do that. Bearing down on the swordsman's leg one last time, earning a pained groan from said bastard, Sanji released the hold and let the swordsman go.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Shitty-marimo," Sanji spoke while Zoro rubbed at his sore leg. "I treat the ladies like the princesses they should be treated as, and you should too."

Zoro let out a sarcastic grunt. Of course there was no reasoning with the love-cook when it came to ladies, how stupid of him to try. "Whatever you say, Cook."

Sanji wanted to kick the bastard's ass all over again, but he was going to have to be satisfied with that for now. It was almost time to start on dinner for the crew. "Well it's been fun kicking your ass, Lousy-marimo, but I have dinner to work on. Next time you want your ass handed to you though, give me a call," He waved with a smirk, making his way back to the galley.

Once he was sure the swordsman could no longer see him however, the smile fell from his face. He won the fight, but the swordsman planted a seed of doubt in his mind that was going to spend the next couple of days eating at Sanji's insides.

* * *

"Nami-swan! I have the hot cocoa you asked for!" Sanji announced, brandishing a small tray.

The weather on the Grand Line was, as usual, unpredictable. They had woken to find the Sunny frosted over that morning. The frost had melted when the sun had risen, but the temperature stayed cool the rest of the day, and the sharp scent of winter seemed to hang in the air. They knew the warm days were over for now.

Sanji never minded the cold weather; in fact he enjoyed it more than the oppressive heat of summer. Wintry weather meant warmer meals, and there was something almost nostalgic about spending the day in the galley, warmed by the heat of the stove. Something about winter always made Sanji feel more at home.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun," Nami looked up from the map she was working on to smile warmly at him. "If you could just set it over there," She pointed to a shelf a safe distance away from her maps.

"You're working hard as ever, my diligent angel," Sanji cooed, setting the mug of hot chocolate where she asked.

"Hmm," Was all the reply he got. After a few more moments of silence she looked up at him again. "Was there something you needed, Sanji-kun?"

"Of course not dearest Nami-san, I was merely gazing upon your beauty!" Sanji replied warmly, practically raining hearts down on the navigator.

"Ah," Nami frowned. "Well if you don't mind, Sanji-kun, I have a lot of work to do, so..." She trailed off, looking pointedly at the door.

Sanji's smile faltered slightly for a moment. "Oh! Of course Nami-san, keep up the good work!" He called before excusing himself from her office.

With the door closed safely behind him, he allowed the frown he'd been fighting off to make its way onto his face. It had been a perfectly normal exchange with their navigator; Sanji had had many like it in his time on the crew. Thanks to the swordsman's words however, Sanji was confused and slightly hurt.

Was he really a nuisance to the ladies? In his efforts to shower them with the praise and respect he believed they deserved, was he really doing the opposite? No, surely not. He loved them, after all. He'd be the first to know if something was making them unhappy. Of course he would, he made it his responsibility to see to their happiness, didn't he?

The nagging doubt from the swordsman's words tugged at his gut again.

With a heavy sigh he headed back to the galley. The coffee he'd prepared for Robin had probably finished brewing now, and he could bring it to her. Surely the lovely Robin-chan would erase all his doubts.

Humming happily to himself he poured a mug of the coffee he'd brewed to Robin's exact specifications. Arranging it on a tray with a few biscuits for her to enjoy with her coffee, Sanji happily carried the tray down to the aquarium.

"Robin-chwan! Your coffee is ready!" He called as he entered.

With a sigh, the archaeologist lowered the book she'd been reading and set it in her lap. She accepted the tray from the cook with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Cook-san," She replied. "The biscuits are a nice touch as well."

"Anything for you, my lovely Robin-chan! I am your faithful servant, ever at your beck and call. Whenever you should have need of me, I'll always be by your side!" He proclaimed.

Robin smiled at him, but the smile wasn't out of love, more like patience. "I'll keep that in mind Cook-san, thank you again for the coffee," And with that she picked up her book once again and was lost in the world of history.

Sanji dithered for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. He'd love to continue spending time with Robin, but she'd made it pretty clear he was dismissed. With a final sigh he turned to leave; head hung and heart heavy, he made his way back to the galley.

Perhaps Zoro was partially right. Maybe his lovely ladies didn't appreciate his affections. Maybe they were all one sided. Maybe...maybe he wasn't actually making the ladies happy. How was his relationship with them any better than the swordsman's? Zoro didn't rain affection down on the ladies like Sanji did, but that didn't seem to make a difference to them. In fact, the bickering fights Zoro had with Nami had an almost sibling-like quality to them; like watching a sister and brother argue just to annoy each other. Sanji knew for a fact Zoro would lay his life on the line for Nami if he needed too, but he seemed to trust their navigator to get herself out of a tough spot; much like she got them out of many tough spots.

Zoro was different with Robin; in fact, Sanji had rarely seen the swordsman and the archaeologist speak to each other. There was never any bad air between them though. They seemed content to spend any of their time together in peaceful silence, but the few times Sanji had interrupted these moments, he felt like he was interrupting something very private and special. It was like the two could speak without ever speaking.

Sanji was not the swordsman though. He grew up believing women needed to be cared for and protected by men. He doted on them constantly, making their happiness and safety his top priority, but...perhaps Zoro was right? Maybe he was wrong, had always been wrong. Or, more likely, that was true for some women, but not for all? Especially not ladies like Nami and Robin.

Sanji sighed heavily and sank to the floor. There was a little time before he needed to start dinner, maybe if he thought about it carefully until then he'd come up with the right answer. Yes, that was all he needed was a little time to think.

* * *

Nami hummed a sea shanty that Brook had taught them to herself. She'd been able to finish the map she'd been working on, making her one step closer to achieving her dream. Of course, it was a small step, and there were many to go until she actually accomplished her goal, but she was that much closer.

She was planning to find Sanji in the galley, both to return the now empty mug and thank him again for bringing her the cocoa. It was a satisfying treat to get her through her work. She happily pushed opened the galley door, expecting to see the cook happily working on their dinner in the kitchen.

The shadowy figure slumped by the door caught her off guard. Enough so that she let out a surprised shriek and raised the mug, ready to bring it down on the invaders head.

"Was there something you needed, Nami-san?"

The voice was familiar, but it sounded off without its usual intonation. Still, the way it spoke her name was unmistakable. "Sanji-kun?!" She cried out. "What are you doing sitting here in the dark?"

Sanji looked up at her and then around his galley. "When did it get dark?" He asked with genuine confusion.

Nami watched him with some concern as she reached over and flicked on the light. He flinched slightly as his eyes tried to make sense of the sudden brightness. The poor guy certainly looked haggard. His usually neat clothing was crumpled and wrinkled. His jacket had been carelessly tossed aside and his tie loosened to the point where it hung uselessly around his neck. His shirt was only half tucked in, and his hair had clearly been ruffled more than a couple of times. The cigarette in his mouth remained unlit, but had been chewed on to the point that Nami wondered if it could even be smoked anymore.

"What's the matter with you?" Nami asked, concern and confusion coloring her voice.

"Ah," Sanji slumped again. "I was thinking."

Nami took in his appearance again. "What on earth were you thinking about?"

Sanji rubbed his head aggressively, as if doing so would force the thoughts from his mind. That explained his hair then. "Something the stupid swordsman said," He muttered.

Nami raised an eyebrow at his reply. It wasn't uncommon for Sanji and Zoro to fight, but it was unheard of for Sanji to take anything the swordsman said to heart, especially to this degree. Sanji was clearly agonizing over whatever it was Zoro had said. Nami almost had to admire the swordsman, she had no idea he could inflict such damage with words alone. He seemed more muscle than brain most of the time.

With a sigh, Nami bent and took Sanji's hand. "Stand up," She ordered. He obeyed and once he was standing she tugged him lightly over to the table. "Sit," She commanded. He did as he was told again and she released his hand. She stepped away for a moment to put her mug in the sink before sitting across from the cook. "Talk," She said.

Sanji gave her a weak half smile. "I'm honored by your concern, Nami-san, but I'm sure you have more pressing things to attend to at the moment. I'll start dinner right now so everything will be fine here and-"

"I don't care about dinner," Nami replied flatly. "Tell me what Zoro said that's got you beating yourself up."

Sanji tried again. "I assure you Nami-san, I'm just fine. I haven't been beating myself up," He smiled more sincerely this time to assure her.

Nami reached out and tugged lightly at his loosened tie. "You look pretty beat up to me," She commented, retying the cook's tie as she spoke. Once it was neatly tied again and folded neatly under his collar like it was supposed to, she spoke again. "There. Now, talk."

Sanji sighed. "Ah, well, remember when the idiot-marimo so rudely stole the snacks I had brought out for you ladies?"

Nami thought back. "Oh! A couple days ago, right? You guys had that big fight," She nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen Zoro fly so far."

Sanji smiled, grateful for the compliment. "Yes, that day. Well, we were arguing because that idiot is so rude, he never shows you or Robin-chan any respect. I was trying to tell him that lovely ladies sent from the heaven li—" Sanji cut himself short and cleared his throat. "I mean, I was trying to tell him that he needed to start showing more respect to you and Robin-chan. But then he said I was wrong, that I was the one that didn't show the two of you any respect."

Sanji paused, but Nami didn't speak so he continued. "Of course I thought that he was just being his usual stupid marimo self, but then I started to wonder if he was right. Maybe I was just annoying you, forcing my affections on you, and as a result maybe I was the one not showing you any respect," He finished quietly. He was embarrassed, and felt like an idiot for having to talk to Nami-san about all this.

Nami sat back in her chair and sighed. "Damn, I was hoping for something better than that. I was giving Zoro way too much credit," She grumbled, folding her arms over her chest.

"What?" Sanji asked in confusion.

"Listen up Sanji," Nami said, her tone matter-of-fact. "I'm pretty used to your whole chivalry game. I can pretty safely assume Robin is too. Sure, you annoy the hell out of us sometimes, but everyone on this crew annoys me at some point...Luffy on a daily basis," She added thoughtfully.

"But," She paused and patted his shoulder. "I've never felt the least like anyone on this crew, including you, doesn't respect me," She gave him a smile and wink before standing.

_Ah,_ Sanji thought, _it was that simple._ Zoro was wrong, but so was Sanji. Of course he respected Nami, she was a great navigator. He respected Robin too, for her intelligence and insightfulness. Zoro saw these things too, of course. The way they expressed their admiration of these traits were vastly different, but that didn't make either of them wrong.

"Now," She said, placing a hand on her hip. "Are you going to start dinner or are we going to have to listen to Luffy whine all night?"

"I'll start right now, Nami-san!" Sanji cried out happily, regaining his usual energy.

"Good," She smiled warmly. "And thanks again for the hot chocolate, Sanji-kun. It really helped me out."

"Anything for you, my beautiful Nami-swan!" Sanji called after her as she left the galley.

Sanji sighed contentedly, the doubts and worries that had plagued his mind the past couple of days erased entirely. He couldn't wait till the next time he saw the swordsman, so he could brag about how wrong the idiot was.

A sudden thought occurred to him and he froze mid slice on the carrot he was chopping up. Since Sanji had admitted to himself that he might be falling for the swordsman, the list he'd made had become that much more important. Even if Sanji did, maybe, have feelings for the swordsman, there were still many reasons why he couldn't actually be with the swordsman. There was no way he was going to get into a relationship with anyone, especially with Zoro, just to have it fall apart because of all the things between them. This list was a perfect example of exactly why he'd never admit his feelings to Zoro. He had fifteen perfectly valid reasons written down and tucked safely in his pocket.

Well...actually there were only ten reasons now.

* * *

**A/N:**

First and foremost: Wow! Thank you all so much for your reviews! They were so awesome! Especially those of you who have been reviewing on most every chapter, thank you so much! I'm trying to work on getting back to everyone, but if I missed anyone I'm sorry. I still really appreciate it though!

Phew. I finished. I procrastinated and put it off and before I new it a whole week had gone by, and then I wondered if I would ever write this chapter. But here it is!

I spent a whole night writing this, really. I started it at about 11 and finished it at 8:30 the next morning. (There may have been a fair amount of goofing off involved.) So it will probably be riddled with errors. I went over it several times, but I am sure to have missed something.

After all the fluff in the last chapter, I hope no one is too shell shocked at the lack of gooey ZoSan moments in this chapter. It was almost a little Sanji-centric, but I had a lot of fun writing it, so hopefully you enjoyed reading it!

**Additional note: **A huge thank you to reader713 for pointing out my humongous math error, and I apologize to any of you who had to see it before it was edited.


	7. Chapter 7

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love**

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

**6. All they do is fight  
**There is supposed to be attraction, chemistry, and love in a happy relationship. How can they have that if they can't even get along for ten minutes?

* * *

Sanji hummed happily as he danced around his kitchen, preparing a lavish breakfast for his crew. He was in a fantastic mood for so early in the morning. Sometimes there were just days like that, when he would wake up knowing it was going to be a great day. If Luffy were to break in to the kitchen this afternoon and eat half of their food stores, Sanji doubted his good mood could be ruined. He'd happily strangle his gluttonous captain with a cheerful smile on his face.

It had been two days since his conversation with Nami, but he supposed the fact that his precious mellorine didn't hate him was enough of a reason to still be smiling about it. Perhaps the fact that a certain moss-headed swordsman had been absent the past couple of days helped too. Sanji hadn't realized the whole situation with Zoro had been stressing him out so much until he'd stopped speaking to him.

The galley door opened behind him. Sanji was elbow deep in bread dough and couldn't turn to see who was entering his sanctuary so early in the morning. It could only be one person though; Robin-chan was the only one who woke this early.

"Good morning Robin-chwan!" Sanji cooed. "I've prepared your morning coffee already, please help yourself!"

"I'm not big on coffee," A voice replied. It was much too low and unsophisticated to be Robin's. "And I'm not Robin either," It added thoughtfully.

Despite the bread he was supposed to be kneading, Sanji spun quickly with a glare. "Oh. It's just a marimo," He spat, with a tone that suggested Zoro should piss off elsewhere before turning his back on the other man and working the dough some more.

"Morning to you too," Zoro replied with an eye roll. There was a heavy silence in the kitchen, while Sanji pounded the bread with a little more force than necessary.

"I was wondering if you needed any help," Zoro finally spoke. Not that he was expecting an answer; Sanji hadn't spoken to him properly in almost two days. Sure enough, silence and a cold shoulder were his only replies. "So you're still not speaking to me?" Zoro added, though he felt at this point that was just blatantly stating the obvious.

Nothing. With a heavy sigh, Zoro turned and left again, passing by Robin on his way out.

"Good morning, Kenshi-san," She greeted warmly. "It's unusual to see you up so early in the morning, were you helping Cook-san with breakfast?"

Zoro snorted. "Yeah, right," He muttered before leaving.

Robin looked after him curiously. It was hard to tell with the swordsman, as he kept his emotions under lock and key almost all of the time, but she could have sworn he looked a little...down. Of course if she had to hazard a guess, she'd say it was most likely because of their cook. It was far too early in the morning for these sorts of puzzles though, she concluded. She'd figure it out over her coffee.

* * *

Zoro stood on the deck, uncertain of what to do next. He'd really been hoping today would be the day Sanji would get over himself and they could go back to their usual routine. They'd seemed to be closer lately, as close as the two could be while still maintaining their healthy rivalry anyway. Zoro couldn't have been happier; the cook was finally opening up a little bit and letting him in. Was, until Zoro opened his big mouth and pissed the cook off.

Not that it made any sense to Zoro. As far as he could tell, every time he opened his mouth he pissed the cook off to some degree. But Sanji was not the kind of person that held grudges, so Zoro could usually say whatever he wanted and their relationship would remain the same...until this moment. Apparently there was a line drawn on insults made about the cook and his relationship with the girls, and Zoro had crossed over it.

If the cook would just kick his ass (or try to anyway) they could get past this. That was their thing. Get mad at someone or something or each other, start a fight, come out feeling much better. Zoro didn't even know if they knew they were doing it until the fight was over and they were both feeling immensely better from it. It was _fun_ to fight the cook.

No matter what he tried though, he couldn't bait the cook into a fight. Sanji rarely acknowledged his existence. The only proof the swordsman had that the cook knew he was there at all was the plate of food he had handed to him every meal. Even then, he was little more than a house pet as far as the curly-brow's concern for him went.

With another heavy sigh, Zoro rubbed his head in aggravation and made for the crow's nest. He'd just relieve Usopp from watch early and train away his frustration with the cook. The sharpshooter probably wouldn't complain, it'd give him a chance to get to breakfast first before Luffy stole half their food.

* * *

Sanji grit his teeth around his cigarette. Robin had been staring at him for the past ten minutes, and as flattering as that should have been, it was a little disturbing. He could practically feel her curious gaze crawling over his shoulders while he tried to whisk eggs that would be perfectly fluffy. He'd already given her the usual cup of coffee, and had offered her a start on breakfast just to divert her attention. She'd politely declined though and had spent the rest of the time in silence, watching him closely.

He almost wanted to cry in relief when the galley door swung open. Even if it had been the swordsman he would have welcomed the idiot with open arms, no matter what it would have cost his pride to do so. Fortunately his pride was safe when Usopp walked in.

"Zoro said he'd take over the rest of my watch," He said immediately, afraid the others would accuse him of slipping off watch early. "He seemed kind down," He added thoughtfully.

"I agree, Long Nose-kun," Robin said, and Sanji could feel her gaze shift back to him.

"Sit down, Usopp," Sanji instructed. "I just finished baking some muffins. I'll let you have one."

This served as enough of a distraction from Zoro's mood for the sharpshooter. "Thanks, Sanji!" He replied with some surprise, but he was quick to obey the cook's instructions.

With food in front of him, Usopp was well behaved and quiet. Of course the lovely Robin-chan couldn't let it go.

"Did Kenshi-san say what was bothering him, Long Nose-kun?" She asked conversationally. Sanji continued a steady pace in his chopping of an onion and pretended not to hear them.

"No, but you know Zoro," Usopp shrugged.

"Indeed," Robin agreed.

"Anyway," Usopp swallowed the last of his muffin before continuing. "What did you do to him, Sanji?"

Robin giggled and Sanji froze, mid slice. "What the hell does the shitty swordsman's bad mood have to do with me?" He grumbled irritably.

Robin and Usopp shared a knowing look. Robin took over the explanation. "I think what Long Nose-kun means, Cook-san, is that the two of you were getting along so well, and then suddenly you weren't."

"Yeah," Usopp agreed. "And Zoro only acts weird about things when you're involved."

Sanji didn't reply, just resumed his chopping. He wondered if Usopp even knew what he'd just said. He was certain Robin had everything figured out, her stare held just a hint of accusation. Like any of this was his fault! Of course that idiot swordsman would pout and gain sympathy and everyone would blame Sanji!

"It's his own fault," Sanji replied calmly. He hated to talk about this at all, but he hated even more to seem like the bad guy. "He shot his mouth off like he always does, and it's about time someone teach the bastard to apologize."

Robin raised a brow. "So all you want is an apology?"

"Why don't you tell him that?" Usopp frowned.

"Because it's a lesson Usopp," Sanji looked at the sharpshooter. "You've had your fair share of those, mostly from Zoro," He pointed out.

Usopp didn't reply but Sanji knew from the look he was receiving that Zoro's lessons in humility were not Usopp's fondest memories.

"While I can understand your frustration, Cook-san, I think you're asking for a miracle," Robin sighed. "It's not in Kenshi-san's nature to apologize for his behavior."

Sanji shrugged. "I think so too, Robin-chan, but I didn't think it would be an easy lesson."

Robin didn't reply, but let the subject of Zoro rest for now. She and Usopp moved on to discussing the sharpshooter's latest invention and watched Sanji cook their breakfast.

* * *

It had almost been a week and Sanji still wasn't talking to Zoro. Zoro had tried everything; he'd tried casual conversation, offering help on extra chores to impress Sanji into speaking, poking fun at the cook, and outright asking why is was the cook wouldn't acknowledge him. And after a week of all of this, all he had to show for it was a grumpy cook and a new sword technique he'd developed out of boredom.

He wasn't sure what else to do to convince the cook to speak to him, and was on the verge of giving up. The only problem was, Zoro wasn't accustomed to giving up. When things were bad, he just had to try harder; that was how he'd always gotten by. It wasn't working on the cook though. He could hardly get Sanji to look at him, and the few times he had he'd been awarded with such a frigid glare he was almost afraid. Almost.

The worst part about the cook not speaking to him was that he was starting to get a little lonely. It was strange to feel that way on a ship full of people, but no one else on the ship matched him quite as well as the cook. He respected Luffy as his captain and as a friend, but the younger man's wild antics didn't mesh well with Zoro's laid back nature. Brook, as a fellow swordsman, was good for a brief conversation, but his silly antics wore on Zoro's nerves. Usopp was more fun to pick on than spend time with, and Franky was far too loud for Zoro's taste. He loved spending time with Chopper, but the little reindeer's youth and naiveté left him wanting for more in a conversation. Nami was a money hungry wench that Zoro sometimes couldn't believe he managed to share a ship with, and Robin, while her presence was calming, had taken to studying him in a manner that made his skin crawl. She could be terrifying when she wanted to be.

In the end, the cook was the closest to him in age, maturity, mannerisms, and the one person on the crew he could either converse with or sit in complete silence with comfortably. Not to mention he could fight with the cook. Fighting with the cook was the best part. Sanji matched Zoro's raw power with quick thinking and even quicker reflexes that left the swordsman on his toes at all time. Fighting with the cook was _never_ boring.

During the first few days, Zoro had assumed Sanji's anger would blow over in time and hadn't worried about the cook's silence. By the fourth day he'd worried a little; Sanji's anger never held on this long without exploding. Now it was the sixth day, and the late evening sun was casting long shadows on the deck. Dinner had come and gone without a word from the cook, and Zoro had the feeling if he didn't change something, the cook would never speak to him again. He had a plan, though it was a little radical; it was the only thing he could think to try. That in mind, he set off to find the cook.

* * *

Sanji was listening to another of Usopp's long winded and entirely fabricated stories. True he'd never known the sharpshooter in his home town, but he was fairly certain Usopp had never fought off an entire band of thieves with his legs tied together. Luffy and Chopper seemed to be enjoying the story though, so Sanji decided just to treat the story like a work of fiction and enjoy it that way. Usopp wasn't a half bad storyteller, if you left out the part where he was the main hero.

Truthfully, Sanji was a little bored. Nami and Robin had gone to their room for the evening, as they so often did early in order to escape the men on the ship. Dinner had been a stew, and clean up had been quick and easy. Now Sanji wasn't quite sure what to do with himself for the rest of the night.

Truly he'd like to be spending time with Zoro, but this was the sixth day without an apology, and Sanji was starting to doubt that he'd ever get to speak to the swordsman again...

"Oi, Dart-brow," As if on cue, Zoro appeared before their group and interrupted Usopp's story. "I need to talk to you."

Sanji gave the swordsman an accessing look. Surely this was too good to be true. Could Zoro be thinking of apologizing? Sanji banished the thought from his mind and replied. "What do you want, Marimo?"

"To talk," Zoro repeated.

"So talk," Sanji shrugged nonchalantly.

Zoro looked at Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper. He really didn't want an audience for this. "Alone," Zoro clarified. "Meet me in the crow's nest?"

Sanji looked the swordsman over again. There was a certain...uncertainty in his behavior. As if he was stepping outside of his comfort zone and trying something new. It was enough to pique Sanji's interest. "Sure," He replied, watching as Zoro turned on heel and headed up the ladder.

Luffy laughed. "Zoro's weird," He commented.

"He did seem strange," Chopper agreed. "I hope he's okay. He hasn't been himself lately. If I thought he could catch a cold I'd be worried that he did."

Usopp exchanged a look with Sanji that told the cook the sharpshooter thought the same thing he did. Maybe this was Zoro's apology.

"I'm going to go see what he wants," Sanji told the others, standing and making for the ladder after the swordsman.

Sanji pushed through the hatch of the crow's nest and was greeted with the sight of the swordsman's back a few feet away. He was stiff, a tension knotting his spine into a rigid line. Not a normal stance for the usually lazy Zoro. Sanji curiously climbed the rest of the way up and turned to shut the hatch.

"So," He began. "What's up?"

The hatch had barely snapped shut when the swordsman spun and launched himself at the cook. He came lightning fast, but Sanji was faster and brought a foot up to block just before a sword made contact with the flesh of his stomach.

"What the hell, Zoro!" Sanji cried, recovering quickly from his surprise and using the foot he'd blocked with to launch the swordsman away. "You say you want to talk, and then you just attack me?"

Zoro didn't reply though, instead he recovered his balance and attacked again. This time Sanji was ready for it though, swiftly blocking the attack and launching one of his own. Zoro defended the hit easily with one sword as he unsheathed another. Sanji didn't waste a moment in continuing his attack though, vaulting quickly after the swordsman, hoping to make use of the time it took Zoro to unsheathe a sword to land a hit. He was unsuccessful however, and the swordsman nearly clipped his face with the swing of a blade.

Sanji pulled back at the last minute though. The swing had been wide and loose on purpose, a warning to the cook not to get too cocky. Zoro didn't leave himself open when he was taking up his swords after all. Sanji had to resist the smirk that came to his face when he read the message loud and clear. He was supposed to be especially angry at the swordsman for his spontaneous and uncalled for attacking, not enjoying himself.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" He asked instead, flipping back quickly out of range of the swords. "I don't talk to you for a few days and you decide to try and kill me?"

"It's been six days," Zoro said, rushing Sanji again. The cook had a slight advantage at a distance, so it was best to keep the fight up close. "That you've barely said a single word to me," Zoro added on.

"I wonder why that is?" Sanji asked sarcastically. Zoro drew another sword but Sanji didn't bother making use of the time it took him to do that. He'd just end up getting sliced. Instead he dropped low and attempted to take out the swordsman's knees.

Unfortunately Zoro knew him too well for that kind of trick to work. "Because you're pissed at me?" Zoro asked, quickly spinning out of the way and bringing the two swords in his hands down in an arc designed to kill.

Sanji dove out of the way and spun a kick in Zoro's direction as he recovered. He wasn't going to bother replying to the idiot. He knew that Zoro knew exactly why the cook wasn't speaking to him; he just needed to figure out how to fix it. That was the point of the lesson.

"I came up with a new move," Zoro said, pausing to duck and avoid a spinning kick Sanji had aimed at his head. "While you weren't speaking to me," He continued.

Sanji paused in his attacks when the swordsman's words sunk in. "So?" Sanji asked. "_That's _what you called me up here and attacked me for? Are you an idiot?! You shitty marimo! I'm not putting up with this. I'm going to bed," Sanji turned and grabbed the handle of the hatch, hating Zoro a little more now than he did twenty minutes ago.

Zoro took up a stance. "You're not gonna make it down that later before this hits you, Shit-cook."

Sanji stopped and watched the swordsman sheath a sword, Sandai Kitetsu he noted with some relief (that one tended to leave cuts more often than the other two) and take up Shuusui with both hands. Surely one sword in two hands gave him more power behind the attack. Sanji watched and took notes, as he so often did when Zoro came up with a new technique. All the better to find the weakness of it.

Zoro swung and Sanji stepped quickly to the side. He could feel the wind the swing left in its wake, and he was glad he'd not been on the receiving end of the blow. Without a second thought he aimed low and struck the back of Zoro's knee. The swordsman went down hard and Sanji truly couldn't resist a smile this time.

"Listen up shit-swordsman I'm going to give you a word of advice," He said, kicking Zoro lightly on the leg. "I realize you're a powerhouse in your upper body, but that move would work far better if you kept the balance in your legs and not your waist. You'll get more force behind it that way, and you won't be so easy to take down."

Zoro recovered and turned to look at Sanji. After his remark, Sanji expected a glare, followed by another reckless attack. The swordsman surprised him though with a broad smile. "I knew you could help. I couldn't figure out what was missing."

Sanji pushed down the sense of flattery he felt and shrugged. "Well this is a one time thing, Shitty-marimo. Try this shit again and I'll kill you next time."

Sanji made to leave again but Zoro stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, I really did have something to say."

Sanji turned. "I swear to God, Zoro, if you don't make an actual conversation this time, I'll kick you through the window."

Zoro scratched his head uncertainly, and the change in his demeanor startled Sanji enough to grant him some patience while the swordsman found his words.

"I'm..." The marimo paused, wrinkling his face like he smelled something bad before shaking it off and continuing. "I'm...sorry...for what I said about you and the girls," He finished, face flushing a little in embarrassment.

Sanji couldn't believe his ears. "You're what?" He asked, a smile forming on his face.

"Shut up," Zoro scowled. "You heard me."

"I did," Sanji beamed. "I just can't believe I actually did," He shrugged, turning again to finally make his way out of the crow's nest, certain the swordsman wouldn't stop him again. "All's forgiven, Marimo. Keep practicing that technique, I'd like to see it in action one day."

"That's it?" Zoro called before Sanji could disappear down the hatch.

"That's it," Sanji smirked. "See what an apology can do?"

With that he left the flustered marimo in the crow's nest and made his way down, planning on a nice bath before bed. He felt lighter and happier than he had in days, and he was already planning on having Zoro get up with him to help with breakfast. He was beyond happy to have his friend back, and their fight had been a relief for all the pent up energy he'd had stored up.

Fighting with Zoro would _never _get old.

* * *

**A/N:**

First of all, let me just say if anyone notices any HUGE inconsistencies or mistakes, please do tell me. I make mistakes like everyone, so let me know and I will fix them. Pardon any minor spelling and grammar errors. I know they're frequent despite my best efforts.

Secondly, thank you all for the reviews! They mean so much to me! A positive review really gives me a lot of confidence in my story. And if you don't like it, say so! I can take a little criticism, and it may be able to help me improve my writing. Either way, reviews have a huge impact on me as a writer in an extremely positive way, so those who have reviewed, thank you so much!

Updates really have become a weekly thing. I didn't realize working overnights would make me so lazy. I never want to do anything but watch anime or maybe play video games in my spare time. Never fear though, even if it's getting written slightly slower now, I will still see it to the end.

That's all! I hope you enjoyed!


	8. Chapter 8

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love **

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**7. Zoro was always lost**  
Having to look after their idiot captain was bad enough, Sanji didn't want to have to constantly be on Zoro watch just because the stupid marimo could walk a straight line.

* * *

By the time the Straw Hats finally reached the next island, everyone was ready to jump ship. It had started as it always did, with Luffy growing bored. There were only so many games he could invent and only so much trouble he could get into before he grew bored with sailing. Usually they would have made it to the next island before he reached that point, but Nami hasn't been joking when she said it was going to be a long way to the next island.

When Luffy threw in the towel and gave into boredom, so did Usopp and Chopper. This left a very inquisitive Usopp to interrupt Franky at every turn and a very nosy Chopper to harp on Zoro for his "incorrect" methods of working out. This irritated the shipwright and the swordsman to no end, and they began asking Nami how long it would be till they reached the next island every time they saw her. This combined with Luffy's constant whining and pestering pushed Nami over the edge. She'd locked herself in the navigator's office three days ago after threatening to castrate anyone that came near her. She only came out for meals and when she and Robin headed to the girl's cabin for sleep.

Sanji tried to help his nakama out by keeping the boys busy with fishing, but there was only so much fishing they would do in a day before they threw down their poles and told Sanji to get the fish himself. Truthfully, Sanji was pretty on edge himself; even he would have a hard time making meals with their dwindling food supply. He was one of the most conservative chefs he knew, but he couldn't make their supplies last forever. So when the boys had refused to fish any more one afternoon, he'd kicked Luffy hard enough in the head to send him flying.

Brook kept his spirits up, and tried to do the same for the rest of the crew by playing upbeat melodies for them every night. That was, every night until Luffy got mad at him for not playing his favorite song (primarily because Brook didn't know Luffy's favorite song, and Luffy didn't have a clue how it went either) and threw his bowl at him. The bowl couldn't harm Brook, but it could harm his violin. The bowl struck the fragile instrument and snapped two strings in the process. That disheartened Brook thoroughly, and they'd lost their only source of cheer.

Even poor Robin, who tried for so long to keep the others calm and happy eventually lost her patience with all of them and locked herself in the aquarium room with a few books. It was quiet there, and the ideal place to avoid the noise caused by her overly energetic captain, the cook and the swordsman's constant fighting, and the frequent explosions caused by the shipwright and the sharpshooter.

When Zoro called down that he'd spotted land the next morning, they were all so relieved to be able to get off the ship and stretch their legs that they enjoyed their breakfast together as if any of their fighting had never happened. Nami even happily gave Luffy some of her food while she talked about how long it would take her to map out the island.

The island they landed at was huge and seemingly uninhabited. They'd circled around less than half of it before deciding it was safe to make land. It seemed to be covered in a thick forest, many evergreens and a few splashes various color from changing deciduous trees. It was definitely an autumn island in the late summer.

An uninhabited island was good news for the infamous pirates, it meant they could stay on land and explore at their leisure without having to worry about encountering any marines, bounty hunters, or hateful citizens. It was apparently also good news for Nami, who gleefully informed them that they wouldn't need their allowances, since there was nowhere on the island to spend it.

As Nami and Franky went to pull the ship near to the island and find a good place to drop anchor, Sanji set to work on making lunches for them to take out with them. Zoro stayed behind and washed the breakfast dishes. It was the first time in a few days they'd been in the same room together, as their rising irritation levels over the course of the last couple weeks had led to nothing but fighting. If Zoro so much as held a cup wrong Sanji would lash out at him, and the swordsman had taken to complaining about how long it took the cook to wash something. In the end they'd decided it was safest to separate themselves until they were in better moods.

They hadn't spoken, but their silence was quiet and companionable; the way Sanji had been getting used to it being before they'd both been driven to their breaking point. Sanji hummed happily while he combined ingredients in a pan and gave its contents a swirl with a spoon. Of course, he hadn't realized he'd been humming until Zoro so subtly pointed it out.

"You're humming," He commented.

Sanji paused in his movements. "I was?"

"Yeah," Zoro said. He hadn't even bothered turning away from the dishes. Given his blatant comment and lack of continuing conversation, Sanji could only assume that his humming had been irritating the swordsman.

"Sorry about that," He shrugged, swirling the spoon in the pan once more before tapping it lightly and setting it aside. Yesterday he might have snapped at the marimo to mind his own business, but today he was feeling nothing but relief and wouldn't let Zoro's minor slights bother him.

"No, I liked it," Zoro corrected. "It was nice. I was just wondering what song it was."

Sanji was glad Zoro was still so intently focused on the dishes; he could feel his face heating and was sure it was a nice shade of pink. "I'm not sure," He thought about it for a moment. "Something Brook was singing the other day I think, but I couldn't tell you what it was called."

Zoro finished drying the last dish before setting it on the counter and turning to face the cook. He leaned back against the counter, looking every bit at home in Sanji's kitchen as Sanji was. This thought didn't make Sanji any more comfortable than Zoro's comment about his humming had and the cook quickly twisted to survey the contents of his pan, giving them a quick stir.

"I like it when you hum. You only do it when you're happy," Zoro said. "Glad to be landing?"

"Aren't we all?" Sanji laughed, though it sounded a little forced even to him. "You were going pretty crazy too, if I recall."

Zoro laughed as well, though his laugh sounded much more relaxed than Sanji's. "That's true. I hate it when Chopper goes full doctor mode on me. I never get a moments peace."

"Well," Sanji cleared his throat and raised it to an impossibly high and squeaky tone. "If you'd just take care of yourself he wouldn't have to worry about you!" His voice broke on the last word and both he and Zoro laughed at his poor imitation.

When their laughter had subsided Zoro cleared his throat and continued their earlier conversation. "Anyway, we've all been a little on edge, but I know you've been worried about the food supply."

Sanji resisted the effect of gravity on his jaw. If he hadn't it would have fallen right open. He racked his brain, trying to remember a time he'd even hinted to Zoro that he'd been worried about their food shortage. Of course he came up with nothing. He knew he hadn't let anything like that slip. Despite his own concerns, he was always very careful not to let the rest of the crew know about their lack of food. That could cause a panic, and that wasn't going to help anyone.

If Luffy asked why meal portions were getting smaller, Sanji would reply that they needed to start being conservative for the long haul; he never mentioned that sometimes that was all they had. He told them to fish if they wanted fresh meat; he didn't mention that if they didn't fish there wouldn't be _any _meat. He knew his crew wasn't stupid (well, _some_ crew members weren't stupid). He knew they realized there came a point in the journey when food supplies ran low. They knew fresh fruit and vegetables didn't stay fresh for long, and meat and eggs could only last so long. He was always careful not to tell them exactly _how_ bad things were though.

And Sanji wasn't about to let the idiot marimo figure it out either. "I don't know what you're talking about," He shrugged, turning the heat off on the stove and turning to the cabinet he kept their lunch boxes in. "The food supply has been fine."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you tried to kick Luffy back to Alabasta?"

"I kick Luffy because he was being a useless little brat," Sanji frowned.

"Oh, I was pretty sure you did it because he refused to fish and you needed those fish for breakfast the next morning," Zoro replied with feigned nonchalance.

However Sanji could feel the swordsman's eyes burrowing into the back of his head and knew it was useless to try and lie his way out of this one. He threw one panicked gaze at the swordsman. "Please don't tell the others," He threw his pride away and practically begged the other man.

Zoro was surprised by the cook's reaction. Sanji never asked favors, especially from him, and he'd never seen the cook look so upset. Even when Nami had rejected his advances he'd never looked so distraught. He wanted to ask what it was that had the cook so worked up, but he found the words died in his throat. Instead he just nodded. "Of course I won't. Your secret is safe," He replied, though he wasn't sure why they were keeping this a secret.

Sanji was reassured though, and exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank you," He looked at the swordsman thoughtfully. "How did you know I was worried about it?" He asked.

Zoro pushed off the counter and came closer to where Sanji was standing. Sanji resisted the urge to back away. For one thing he'd just end up trapped between the swordsman and the stove. For another, he couldn't back down to Zoro, it would be like admitting defeat to the swordsman, and Sanji would _never_ admit defeat to that idiot.

The third reason he wouldn't back away was, well, because he _couldn't_. He found himself completely frozen in place, eyes locked with Zoro's, as he reached out, fingers brushing against the cook's lips. His hand had barely made contact before he pulled away, but it sent a shiver down Sanji's spine.

"You chew on these more than you smoke them when you're worked up," Zoro said.

Sanji blinked, tearing his gaze away from Zoro's to focus on what the swordsman was presenting to him: his cigarette. Sanji chewed his lip where the little stick usually sat, having only just noticed it was missing. Sure enough, the butt was chewed into a disgusting mush and the thing had clearly never been lit.

"Oh," Was all Sanji could manage, still thoroughly distracted by the tingle left over on his lips from Zoro's touch.

Zoro reached past Sanji and set the chewed cigarette on the counter. "Yeah," He chuckled. He was standing so close Sanji could feel the swordsman's breath on his shoulder. He had to remind himself to breath normally.

Zoro stepped back and gave the cook and odd look, and Sanji realized he'd been staring. He quickly tore his gaze away from the marimo and set about packing up their lunches. He was extremely grateful that Zoro decided not to ask about his strange behavior. Instead the marimo turned and began putting the clean dishes away.

When he was finished he wiped down the counter, rinsed out the sink, and hung the towel neatly so it would dry properly. Just the way Sanji liked it. Zoro never made any mistakes in his kitchen (at least not real ones, just the ones Sanji made up as an excuse to yell at the swordsman). It never ceased to amaze Sanji that the marimo, the same shitty marimo he hated up till a few weeks ago, seemed to know everything about him, down to his simplest habits. It was both strange and flattering to the cook.

"Hey, Zoro?" Sanji called, snapping the lid shut on Luffy's second lunch box.

"Yeah?" Zoro asked. He'd just finished his cleaning and Sanji could practically feel his excitement to get off the ship. He hadn't really noticed it before. He assumed Zoro was happy as long as he could lift weights and nap, but apparently even the idiot swordsman could get cabin fever.

"I'm probably going to spend the day foraging for food and hunting..." He paused, wondering what on earth he was thinking for a moment before he continued on. "Did you want to come?"

The surprise on the marimo's face was quickly followed by a happy expression that looked so pleased it shouldn't have been allowed on the scowling idiots face.

"I could use your muscles for carrying stuff," Sanji added.

The glee on Zoro's face dropped a notch or two, but he still looked pretty damn happy. "Sure, I'll come," He agreed. "Wouldn't want a lady like you to break a toenail doing some hard work."

Zoro was literally kicked from the galley. "Just go get us a couple of bags, Shitty-marimo!" Sanji yelled, shutting the door with a loud snap.

* * *

Sanji forgave Zoro later when he came back later with two of the biggest packs the Straw Hats possessed and two canteens filled with water. At least the bastard had been productive with his time, for once. Sanji distributed the lunches, (assuring Luffy that he had plenty of meat in his pirate lunch box) and waited patiently while Nami told them exactly when to meet back at the ship. The moment they were given permission to leave, he and Zoro wasted no time in putting as much distance between themselves and the _Thousand Sunny _as possible.

"I've never seen Sanji and Zoro so excited to get off the ship," Chopper commented while he waited with Robin, Brook, and Luffy for Franky to pull out the Mini Merry. Nami and Franky had pulled as close to shore as a safe, but the water was still too deep for the devil fruit users to traverse; not that Luffy hadn't tried, nearly drowning in three feet of water and having to be tossed back on board by Zoro for his troubles. He now sat pouting and whining about how it wasn't fair that Sanji and Zoro got to have an adventure first.

"I don't really blame them," Nami replied, shooting Luffy a scathing look. She herself was ready to put as much distance between her and her captain as possible, but she didn't want to ruin her skirt, so wading the rest of the way to shore was out of the question. "I'm just shocked they volunteered to go together."

"They've been getting along much better lately," Robin informed her. "Better for them at least."

"Yeah," Usopp agreed. "They spend a lot of time together now."

"Really..." Nami gave Robin an expectant look. Everyone on the crew knew nothing slipped past the archaeologist. If you were curious about something, you went to Robin first. The first chance she got away from the others, Nami was going to find out what Robin knew.

"Seeing such a wonderful display of friendship warms my heart...or it would, if I had a heart," Brook laughed merrily at his own joke.

"It's not fair!" Luffy whined. "I wanted to go food hunting too!"

"You'd just eat all the food," Nami snapped, smacking him in the head.

"I hope they're careful," Chopper frowned. "They don't know when to quit sometimes."

"I'm sure they'll be fine Chopper," Usopp assured his friend with a pat on the back. "They're monsters after all; it'd take more than a little fighting and a some forest wildlife to take them down."

Chopper nodded but it was clear his worries weren't entirely put to rest. Fortunately it was then that Franky announced the Mini Merry ready to depart and the cook and the swordsman were temporarily forgotten by their nakama in the excitement to _finally _leave the Sunny.

* * *

The air was pleasant enough for light clothes, but not exactly warm enough for _wet _clothes. Fortunately, Sanji had thought ahead enough to suggest they each bring a change of clothes. When they reached shore they were both soaked up to their chests. The water wasn't particularly deep, but there was a fair amount of splashing caused by their unspoken competition to reach shore first.

Sanji pulled his spare clothes from the pack but hesitated in putting them on. He wasn't a shy man by any means, but the idea of stripping down in front of Zoro suddenly left him feeling a tad self-conscious. He glanced back at the swordsman and saw the other man clearly didn't have the same reservations as Sanji, as his shirt was already gone and he was making to undo his pants. Sanji spun quickly around again. He was being stupid, and he needed to get over it. With that in mind, he quickly stripped himself of his clothes and changed into the new ones.

"You're slow, Cook," Zoro commented when Sanji was finished.

"Shut up, Marimo," Sanji snapped. For a walk in the woods with the marimo, a suit would have been overboard. He settled instead for a t-shirt and simple pair of black slacks. They laid their wet clothes out on a rock to dry while they were gone and turned to look at the forest in front of them.

Sanji was pretty excited to get in and see what the forest had to offer him. The forest itself made him feel a little nostalgic; forests like this were pretty common in the North Blue, and even though he hadn't lived there since he was a kid it still had a sense of familiarity. This was the Grand Line though, he reminded himself, and the similarities between the forests in his vague childhood memories and this forest could end at their outward appearance alone.

"Are we going in or not?" Zoro asked, though his voice didn't hold quite as much impatience as it usually would. The cook was obviously lost in thought, and Zoro had taken to observing the cook more than picking fights with him.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going," Sanji rolled his eyes, setting off into the forest in front of them. "This forest reminds me of the forests at home," Zoro hadn't asked, but Sanji figured he'd better explain his sudden space out anyway. Not that he felt he needed to justify any of his actions to the marimo...but he did want to make conversation.

Zoro gave him a strange look. "Didn't you grow up in that restaurant?" He asked, then (in case Sanji was an idiot) he added, "In the middle of the ocean?"

Sanji glared at the swordsman. "Before that, idiot. When I lived in the North Blue," He looked up at the canopy of leaves and branches above him. "Not like a spent a whole lot of time in the forest anyway, it just kinda reminded me of the past is all."

Zoro nodded but didn't say anything. Together they walked a ways in silence. Once in a while Sanji would stop to observe a type of leaf or pluck a berry and consider it for a moment before discarding it.

"What was wrong with that one?" Zoro asked after the third time Sanji did this. The berry in question was red and plump and looked delicious. As much as the cook hated wasting food, Zoro couldn't believe his eyes when Sanji carelessly threw it to the side and moved on.

Sanji turned and looked down at the berry he'd tossed aside. "It's not edible," He said simply, turning to move on again.

Zoro followed, but not before giving the berry one last regretful glance. "It looked pretty edible to me," He said.

"Well why don't you eat it then, Marimo, tell me how that goes for you," Sanji smirked. "Or you could trust your cook to know what's good for you."

Zoro grumbled but let the subject of the berry drop. Eventually he and Sanji stumbled upon a tree laden with apples. He sent a questioning look at Sanji who nodded.

"Those are edible Marimo," He said, reaching up and plucking one down. He turned it in his hand, inspecting it for damage from insects or animals. Seeing none he bit into it. "Mm, they're sweet," he commented wiping at a bit of juice on his lip.

Zoro watched the cook take a bite and curiously reached up to try one for himself. It was sweet, but not overly so. It had a crisp, refreshing flavor to it that seemed to reflect the nature of the island itself. He chewed on it thoughtfully, savoring the taste of something fresh and juicy after so much time living off of Sanji's preserved foods and the catch of the day. Not that anything that Sanji had cooked had been bad, it always tasted great, but the contrast between fresh fruit and canned fruit was noticeable even to the swordsman.

Sanji pulled the pack off his shoulders and set it on the ground before reaching up and plucking a few more apples from the tree. Zoro quickly finished his apple and followed the cook's lead. He took the cook's advice and inspected each apple for damage before he added it to the pack. If the apple was damaged, the tossed it aside. Sanji assured him the bad apples wouldn't go to waste; something would come along and eat it.

"In a way, we're helping out," Sanji said. "Some things would love to eat these, but they can't reach them and have to wait for them to fall off on their own. We're speeding up that process for him," He said, tossing another bad apple to the side.

"What can you use these for?" Zoro asked. Ever since he'd started helping out the cook in the kitchen, he'd seen Sanji do some pretty amazing things with food that Zoro had never even considered. He'd never had an interest in cooking before, and truthfully still didn't, but watching Sanji create dishes was the equivalent of watching a stage performer to Zoro.

"Lots of things," Sanji said, considering an apple for a moment before adding it to the bag and reaching for another. "If I had flour, the easiest thing to make would be pie...but I ran out of flour last week, and I don't think I'll be finding any in this forest," He thought for a moment before continuing. "I bet we can find some nuts though. Depending on which kinds we find I could bake them with nuts, and a little cinnamon and nutmeg, I'd have to play with spices," He paused and looked up at Zoro, smiling. "It's a really great desert for this kind of weather. And I think you'd like it, it's not too sweet."

Before Zoro could come up with a reply, Sanji put the last apple in his pack and straightened. "I think that should be enough. If we get too many they might go to waste," He lifted the pack back onto his shoulders. "Let's move on, Marimo, we've got a lot more food to collect."

Zoro wordlessly obeyed, hefting the now weighted pack onto his shoulders and following after the cook. He could have made a comment about the cook's sudden impatience after he was the one that got all googly-eyed over the forest to start with. He could have made some smart aleck remark about the cook being the one that was having a love affair with the apples, but he didn't. Primarily because he'd been stunned speechless.

He'd never told the cook he didn't like sweet things.

* * *

Sanji hiked happily though the woods. Occasionally a small animal would startle and take off into the woods. This happened many times, but there didn't seem to be anything larger than a rabbit around as far as game went. Rabbits and squirrels were edible, but too small for the marimo's swords and too quick for even his feet to keep up with. He'd have to talk to Usopp about making up some traps later. For tonight he was sure they could find some crabs or clams on the shore. Luffy would just have to wait until tomorrow for "real meat."

The forest was peaceful, quiet but not oppressively so. There was still enough life in the bird song and small rodents to make Sanji feel at ease. In fact the only strange noise in all of the forest right now was the sound of his own feet as the made a path through the dead leaves and detritus that littered the forest floor.

Just the sound of his own feet...

Only his own feet...

Sanji spun quickly. The marimo had, until just a moment ago, been following behind him. Now he found himself alone. He listened carefully, hoping to pick up the idiot-swordsman's footsteps, but aside from the trilling bird song, everything was quiet.

"Dammit," Sanji cursed. He should have known better than to have the marimo follow him. The idiot couldn't walk a straight line without getting lost, and he knew for a fact the moron didn't pay attention long enough to follow anyone. "Oi! Marimo! Where the hell did you go?!" He shouted. It was probably a lost cause, but it was easier than having to guess which direction the swordsman took off in.

He strained his ears for a reply. There was a beat of silence before he barely heard, "Cook! Over here!"

The voice was so distant it seemed to come from several directions at once. Sanji sighed and took a wild guess, trudging back the way he came and slightly to the west. "Keep talking moron! I can't find you if you're not making noise!"

After several minutes and an improvised game of Marco Polo (that could have been renamed Shit-Cook and Bastard-Marimo) Sanji finally found Zoro. "What the hell were you doing, you bastard?" Sanji fumed. "I realize your sense of direction is even less than non-existent but I was _right in front of you. _How did you manage to get lost?!"

"I wasn't lost," Zoro frowned.

"Bullshit, how do you explain the last ten minutes I spent having to look for you then?" Sanji snapped.

"Just shut up, Cook."

Sanji grit his teeth. He needed a cigarette. How he'd gotten through the last hour or so with the marimo without one was a mystery to him. "Don't tell me to shut up y-" He started, but was cut off by Zoro's hand.

"Shut. Up," Zoro repeated. He tilted his head to the side, trying to catch the sound he'd heard before. Once he found it, he released the cook. "This way."

Sanji was furious, murderously so, but the marimo's actions aroused his curiosity enough that he decided kicking the bastard's ass could wait a little while. It seemed the marimo was onto something, so Sanji kept his mouth shut for the moment and followed the swordsman as he walked in a seemingly random direction. He paused every once in a while and sometimes turned and wondered off in a different direction. Sanji wondered if perhaps he wasn't just discovering the marimo's pattern for getting lost.

After what seemed like an endless amount of walking in a random, zig-zagging fashion, Zoro stopped again and turned to Sanji. "Almost there," He said. "Hear it?"

Sanji paused and listened. It sounded like the woods had all day, bird song, twigs snapping in the distance, the crackle of dried leaves...but there was something else as well, something Sanji hadn't heard before.

"A river," Sanji commented with some surprise as he pinpointed the sound. The rush of water and was almost a white noise in the background, but the sound was unmistakable.

"Right," Zoro nodded, leading the way again.

They walked for another few minutes before Zoro suddenly veered right. "Here," He said, pointing ahead of him and disappearing between some trees.

Sanji followed, ready to unleash his rage at the swordsman, but the scene before him silenced him instantly. The marimo had led them to a clearing in the woods, wide enough that some grass bravely poked itself out of the ground to make the most of the sunlight the trees had let through. The river they'd heard before ran through the clearing. It was small, only a couple of feet wide, and fairly shallow. There was an out cropping of rock that made for a small waterfall, and the water gave the scene a cheerful bubbling noise.

It was the picture perfect scene, and Sanji couldn't believe the marimo had found it. In fact, he was almost positive the swordsman hadn't found it entirely on purpose. "So you got lost, happened to hear the river, and followed the sound?" Sanji guessed.

Zoro made a face that confirmed Sanji's theory. "Shut up. I thought it'd be a nice place to have lunch."

Sanji overlooked the scene again and smiled. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but that is an excellent idea, Marimo."

Zoro looked a little too pleased with himself as he slipped the pack off his shoulders. Sanji could have easily wiped the smile off the marimo's face, but decided to let him have his moment. He slipped his own pack off and sat down, taking a moment to recline in the sun. It was warm, just warm enough to be pleasant without burning.

"You know, Marimo," Sanji commented, taking out his lunch and popping the lid off. "You really should do something about your sense of direction."

Zoro shot him a glare. "Shut it, Cook. Besides," He paused and took a bite of his lunch. "I always end up exactly where I need to be."

Sanji considered that. It was true; Zoro always did end up back where he was needed, usually just in the nick of time. He'd always figured it was just a fluke; if you run around lost long enough, you were bound to find the place you were supposed to be eventually. He thought about how Zoro hunting down this spot. Zoro wasn't exactly a genius, but he had sensational instincts. Maybe Zoro started out lost, but he always found his way back by instinct.

Thinking about it made Sanji's brain hurt. "At the end of the day, Marimo, you're too simple to even make sense of."

"What the hell does that mean?" Zoro growled.

"Forget it," Sanji chuckled setting his lunch aside and laying back in the grass. He folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, letting the sun warm his skin. "I'm just starting to think maybe your getting lost all the time isn't all that bad."

Zoro didn't reply and Sanji let himself enjoy the moment; with the river babbling happily behind them, the sun dancing over his skin, and in the companionship of one swordsman he was starting to enjoy having around.

Finally he sat up and grabbed up his lunch box. "Eat up Marimo, we still have a lot of gathering to do today," He said, happily digging into his meal.

* * *

**A/N:**

Does that seem a little...incomplete? Well I apologize if it does. We've reached sort of an...arc, in this story so the next few chapters will tie in together. However the end of the chapters might leave you going "uh...and then?"

Thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews! Really, they were great! I got a lot of compliments that had me all embarrassed and a few critiques that reminded me to keep my story in line a little bit. All of them were wonderful and thank you all for taking the time to leave a review!

Also, I'm sorry some of you were disappointed by the lack of action in the last chapter. I promise there will be plenty to come in the future.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter. For some of it, it felt like I was really forcing things along (most of that ended up being deleted). Zoro getting lost seemed like such an easy concept to write about...but when I was trying to write it, it suddenly didn't seem so easy. Anyway, I hope you'll let me know what you think of it.

Again, I apologize for any spelling and grammar errors and typos. I slept very little to be sure I could post this today, so my editing may have been even more careless than usual.

I hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love**

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**8. Zoro is more in love with his swords than anything.**

Zoro never set his swords aside for even a moment, and cared for them like they were his children. That was okay, Sanji could respect that. It was good to have something so treasured. But Sanji wanted to be treasured like that, and not play second fiddle to a piece of steel.

* * *

"Is it just me, or did these woods suddenly get really weird?" Sanji asked.

They had finished their lunch and, while it broke Sanji's heart to leave such a serene scene behind him, they headed deeper into the woods in search of something more than apples in way of food. So far this forest had been exactly like the forests he remembered as a kid, so he knew if they could find the right places they'd find plenty to eat. The woods were large though, and getting there could take time. He glanced uncertainly at the canopy of leaves above him. It'd been late morning when they'd left the ship, and surely by now it was heading towards late afternoon. He wouldn't leave the island without a proper abundance of food, but at this rate he was more concerned with finding tonight's dinner before the sun went down.

He had been interrupted in his worries when a tanned and sturdy arm shot out and blocked his path. He'd nearly been clothes lined by its sudden appearance and was only saved by his own quick reflexes.

"What the hell are you doing, idiot?" He snapped at the swordsman.

Zoro shushed him and pointed ahead. Sanji followed the direction his finger was pointing and spied a squirrel sitting on a log some distance away.

"That's what you nearly knocked me down for? A squirrel?" He growled irritably. "What, you've never seen one before? Let me inform you, Marimo, they're not so much different from rats."

"Look closer, Shit-cook," The swordsman frowned, pointing again at the squirrel.

Sanji did as he was told, only to be able to satisfactorily ridicule the idiot marimo some more. His plans were ruined when he saw what it was the swordsman was pointing at. The squirrel in question looked ordinary enough, with reddish fur, beady black eyes, and two tails curved over its back. Yes, that's right, two tails. That in itself was strange, but that wasn't the strangest part. The strangest part was that the squirrel sat on its haunches, clutching the remains of what appeared to be the leg of an animal and happily eating away at it. It was a long leg, and the animal it had belonged to should have been large enough to spook a small squirrel.

Sanji suppressed a shudder. The leg was fresh; Sanji of all people knew fresh meat when he saw it, though last he'd checked squirrels didn't have much of an interest in fresh meat.

He and Zoro took a slightly different route, giving the squirrel a wide berth. It wasn't that either of them was afraid of the carnivorous squirrel, of course they weren't. They were men, armed with lethally sharp swords and killer legs. However it didn't seem polite to interrupt the poor thing's meal. That, and maybe because it was possible a meat-eating squirrel would have no qualms about attacking the ankles of a passerby, and neither really felt like dealing with that. So they avoided the squirrel entirely, seeming to form an unspoken agreement that they were to pretend this never happened.

Still with the thought of the carnivorous squirrel implanted in his mind, Sanji took a closer look at the forest around him. Though it did still resemble the forests from his childhood, there were things that were absolutely foreign to him as well: Plant life that he'd never seen before, animals that were warped counterparts of the ones in his memory, insect calls that could drown out even the birds singing. Sanji shuddered at that last observation. He was never very comfortable with things that had more than four legs.

"This is the Grand Line," Zoro grumbled. "I don't know why we were expecting anything normal."

Sanji laughed in agreement. They had not come across a single island that resembled anything close to normal since they'd crossed the Red Line. The closest they'd come to "normal" was probably Alabasta; of course there'd been a civil war instigated by an overly ambitious warlord at the time, just the Straw Hat's luck. There was no island they would stop at that would be completely safe.

Though if carnivorous squirrels were the worst they had to put up with on this island, they would be lucky. After all, the squirrel had made no move to attack them, and in fact the wildlife of the forest had been avoiding them all day, scampering away before the two pirates could even get a good look at them. So perhaps they weren't so different from the wildlife in a forest outside of the Grand Line...except they had two tails and ate other animals.

"Let's go, Marimo," Sanji sighed. "Meat-loving squirrels or not, we have a dinner to find."

* * *

Watching Sanji hunt for food was as fascinating as watching Sanji cook their food. That could be because Zoro knew very little about gathering food like this. If he'd been on his own to get food, he'd have stopped at the berries they'd seen a couple hours before. They had looked absolutely appetizing compared to the bunch of grassy looking plants Sanji was looking at now.

"I think these are edible," He remarked before tearing one of the leaves away from the others and popping it into his mouth. He chewed it thoughtfully for a moment, assessing the taste and considering the flavors it could match well with. "These will be good in a salad," He concluded. "Remember this spot, Marimo, will need to come back here and get these before we head back to the Sunny."

Zoro looked at their surroundings with a frown. He'd never admit this to the cook, or anyone else for that matter, but he had no idea where the Sunny was exactly from where they stood. Had he been on his own, he'd have walked around the woods for a long while, searching for something familiar that would give him a clue as to which way to go. As it was, he was sort of expecting the cook to know the way back to the ship, as well as to remember where things like this bunch of grass were.

As he scanned the surrounding area, checking for landmarks that would lead him back to this place (though all he could see for miles was trees and nothing more obvious than that), he could feel the cooks eyes on him. "What are you staring at, Shit-cook?"

"I'm watching an idiot swordsman trying to get his bearings. It's fascinating. I didn't think you'd actually try and make an effort. I don't know which is funnier: the fact that you're actually trying or the fact that your methods are just going to end up getting us both lost later," Sanji smirked, his tone playing between amused and condescending.

Zoro's face reddened in both anger an embarrassment. Trust the shitty cook to poke fun at him when he was trying to be helpful. The worst part was that Zoro had almost been a little hopeful. If he could remember this spot he could impress the cook later when he found it again and maybe that bastard would be at least a little pleased with him. It wasn't like he wasn't used to arguing with the cook, in fact he thrived on it, but he also wanted Sanji to be impressed with him, even if just a little. Sanji popped that little bubble of hope though, before it had even gotten the chance to get off the ground.

When he'd managed to find that spot by the river earlier, he'd felt the same way; perhaps this was a way to impress the cook, to prove to him that Zoro was more than an idiot with a few swords. The cook had seen through that just as easily though. So what if Zoro had gotten a little lost for a moment? That's what led him to the clearing after all, so it was a good thing, right?

Sanji watched the array of emotions play over the swordsman's face. There was a subtle redness in his face coupled with the lack of a sharp response surprised the cook a little bit. Was it his imagination, or did the swordsman actually look a little hurt? He was used to jabbing insults at Zoro and receiving them back in full measure, so the lack of response made the cook feel a little guilty. There was a line he must have crossed, where his insults went from acceptable to cruel, though he hadn't seen the edge until he'd already pushed Zoro over it.

"Hey, Marimo," Sanji started, dropping the usually harsh tone he took with the swordsman. "I was just kidding, you know that, right?"

Zoro's frown deepened but his expression cleared to a scowl that looked infinitely more familiar on the moss-head's face. "Shut it, Cook," He growled. "I wouldn't want to remember where that stuff was anyway, it looks like grass."

Sanji was relieved to see the old Zoro back. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with the strange, almost vulnerable Zoro he'd seen just a moment before. It was way beyond his ability to comprehend, and made him feel pained for no apparent reason. "Well, Shitty-marimo, it is a grass of sorts," Sanji said, plucking another lengthy leaf and popping it in his mouth. It hung from his lips in the absence of his usual cigarette and he chewed it thoughtfully some more, exploring the taste further. It was a little bitter, but had a sweet edge at the end. With the right mixture of ingredients and the right dressing on top, it would make a lovely salad. "But I'm going to make a salad out of it, and we could use the fresh greens, so deal with it," He finished, continuing on their journey to find food.

* * *

The woods seemed to close in on them as they went on. They'd started out pleasant and open enough, with the trees spaced just enough to allow the occasional beam of sunlight down. It had been light and airy, and a far cry different from the near suffocating enclosure of trees they'd stumbled into now. It wasn't evening yet, but the limited sunlight that filtered down through thick leaves and branches made Sanji feel as if night was coming early. He'd even checked his watch a few times in disbelief that it was just a few hours past midday.

The bird song faded into a quiet background noise and the hum of insects took its place. Sanji checked his watch again; perhaps it was broken? The second hand ticked steadily though, and Sanji tracked it for a full minute before accepting that his watch wasn't lying to him. He stared warily around him. The trees were much closer, and there were too many blind spots for something sinister to hide. It made him uncomfortable.

The swordsman didn't look the least bit phased by the sudden change in scenery. He continued on at the same pace he'd been going at. Sanji wondered if the marimo had even noticed the difference or if he was wandering with absolutely no awareness about where he was headed. That seemed pretty likely to Sanji, who'd seen the marimo get lost when he was following the others around.

Sanji slowed his pace a bit, allowing the swordsman to walk ahead of him. Zoro sent him a curious glance, but took the lead without any argument or comment. That worked out better for Sanji. He wasn't as fantastic a navigator as the lovely Nami-san, but he was confident enough in his ability to let Zoro choose their course. That left Sanji to watch their backs and keep track of the marimo, all at the same time. These woods really did not settle well with him.

After another half an hour of walking with absolutely no change in surroundings, Sanji was ready to call off their hunt for food. They by no means had enough for another voyage, but they'd get through a decent meal tonight. Sanji would just have to come back tomorrow and try elsewhere. For now though, he'd be much happier putting these denser woods behind him.

He was beginning to hear things. He told himself it was the scampering of small animals like before, but with the dark denseness and the constant hum of insects acting on his imagination, the cracking of dried leaves sounded different. The animals' movements over the leaves sounded sharper, louder, like they were made by something larger or heavier than your run of the mill squirrel. Not to mention, the macabre memory of the carnivorous squirrel before wasn't helping his imagination at all.

Sanji was just about to call the marimo back and turn them around when Zoro stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to the cook. "Are those edible?" He asked, pointing ahead of them.

Ahead of them was a tree, a brighter, warmer green than the other trees around it. It was eye catching with the darker trees around it, but that wasn't what caught Sanji's attention most about the tree. Dangling from its branches were green pods, roughly the size of one of Chopper's rumble balls. Sanji moved for a closer inspection.

The ground below was littered with casings and shells from the tree above, picked over by the wildlife of the forest, but it gave Sanji an idea of what he could find above. He knelt down and sifted through the debris. There were the dried remains of the green casings he could see above, though they'd gone grey with age. There were shells too, brown, slightly textures pieces of them broken and scattered around wildly. They were broken in to pieces too small for Sanji to identify what kind of nut he might have found in them (if he would have recognized the shell at all) but they told him exactly what he needed to know; he was standing beneath a tree that grew some kind of nut, and the variety of dishes Sanji could create with nuts were endless.

"These are perfect," He said, standing and flashing the swordsman a warm smile. "Good find for a brainless marimo," He added.

Zoro scowled at him. "Well I can't believe a shitty cook like you could miss it."

Sanji let the comment pass and stared up at the tree again. It was taller than the apple tree, though not impossibly tall. Still, the nearest group of pods dangled a tantalizing three feet out of his reach. It'd be impossible to pick them like they had the apples, but for that reason Sanji had high hopes for their quality. The harder they were to reach, the less chance they had of being damaged. He was sure a squirrel could easily pick them off, but it seemed the squirrels around here enjoyed a steady diet of meat, so perhaps they'd left the nuts alone.

"So how do we get them?" Zoro asked curiously, noticing the same problem Sanji had.

"We climb up and get them, dumbass," Sanji replied, circling the tree to find the lowest branch. There was one that was just a short jump up from where he stood. From there he could kick off the trunk of the tree and easily hoist himself into the tree, but he paused before making the leap.

He pressed his hand gently against the trunk of the tree. It was dark brown and deeply textured, and under the cook's hands it felt rough and unforgiving. There was no give in the bark, and there were sharp ridges that could easily tear into flesh given enough pressure. Sanji sighed and stepped away from the tree again, staring forlornly up at the distant pods.

"What's wrong?" Zoro asked, looking up at the tree in confusion.

"We can't get up there," Sanji reached out and touched the bark of the tree again. "It's too rough; we'd tear up our hands."

Zoro touched the bark thoughtfully. True it was rough, and the idea of pulling himself up by a branch covered in this stuff didn't exactly appeal...but he'd been through far worse pain, and a few scrapes on his palms would hardly make a difference to him in the long run. A scrape was just a scrape to Zoro, no matter where it was. He took pain with a healthy dose of training and called it a strengthening experience.

The cook wasn't weak to pain either, Zoro had seen the other man stand up with several broken ribs and continue fighting as if nothing was wrong. He'd seen the cook crushed repeatedly under the pressure of the ocean, and still end his battle in perfect form. A scrape probably wouldn't mean a thing to the cook either. A scrape on his hands was an entirely different story though. Sanji took such great care of his hands that he'd sooner die than do any lasting damage to them. Tearing up his hands was out of the question for the cook.

Zoro sighed and pulled the pack from his shoulders. He opened it up and approached the cook. "Turn around," He ordered.

Sanji opened his mouth to berate the swordsman for his bad manners, but before he got the chance to speak he was roughly shoved on one shoulder and forced to spin to keep his balance.

"What the hell are you doing, Shitty-marimo?" He demanded. He felt a rough tug at the straps on his shoulders and rolled them in his annoyance.

"Giving you my apples," Zoro said, already moving them from one pack to another. Despite his rough treatment of the cook, he was gentle as he placed the apples in the cook's pack. He knew they'd bruise if he was careless, and he'd rather not feel the cook's wrath about any wasted food later. "I can't climb up there with all these apples on my back and then add those pods on top of it all."

Sanji looked at Zoro over his shoulder. "You don't have to go up there, Marimo. I told you, you'll tear up your hands."

Zoro smirked. "Well I don't have sissy hands like you, so I can take a little pain," He replied. He knew it wasn't the pain that was preventing Sanji from climbing the tree on his own, but he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to bruise the cook's ego.

"It's not the pain I'm worried about, moron," Sanji spat. "And last I checked you need your hands to hold your swords, so I don't know why you're thinking you're better off."

Zoro finished transferring the apples and closed the cook's pack before responding. "Do you want those things or not, Cook?" He asked, pointing up at the pods about their head.

Sanji's jaw clicked shut. He very much wanted to tell the swordsman to give it up, but he also really wanted to use whatever nuts those were in tonight's meal and in their journey from here on. His brain took too long warring over the appropriate answer, and Zoro had already moved below the lowest branch, crossing under it a bit to find the best angle to jump from.

"Oh," Zoro muttered to himself, looking as if an idea had just struck him like a bolt of lightning. He returned to where Sanji stood, fumbling with something on his waist as he went.

"Hold these," He said to Sanji, depositing three heavy swords into Sanji's arms. "Watch out for this one," He added, tapping lightly on the hilt of one of them. Kitetsu it was called, if Sanji remembered correctly. "It's moody."

Sanji gripped the swords to his chest quickly, almost dropping them in his shock. "Oi," He called to the retreating swordsman. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked for the second time.

Zoro didn't bother looking at him as he replied. Instead he focused on lining up under the branch again. "It'll be easier getting up without them. They'll slow me down in the branches and I want to make this a quick trip," He stated before making his leap. He caught the branch easily. Sanji would have had to kick of the tree trunk and twist up into the branches that way, but Zoro's upper body strength far surpassed his own and he easily hoisted himself up into the tree.

Sanji left the swordsman to his own devices and stared in awe at the objects in his arms. He'd never touched Zoro's swords before, mostly because they were always attached to Zoro's side. He knew they were the swordsman's treasures, like the famous straw hat was to their captain. Except Zoro took vastly better care of his swords than Luffy did his worn out hat, Sanji had seen the swordsman spend hours sharpening, cleaning, and practicing with each of his swords individually. To Zoro, each sword had its own personality and temperament. That showed how well he knew each of them.

Sanji's treasure was his kitchen as a whole, and while he valued each of his tools, they were nowhere near as precious as Zoro's swords. If a knife became too dull, and no amount of sharpening could bring it back, Sanji could easily replace it at the next port. He might feel slightly sad letting his old knife go, but in the end the replacement would please him just as much. The same feelings applied if a pot became dented or a frying pan lost its handle. Sanji took care of his tools because it would be wasteful not to and because they were important in his trade, not because he had any especially strong feelings towards any of them individually.

Zoro's swords on the other hand, could not easily be replaced. He'd already seen the swordsman suffer the loss of one of his swords. He'd given it a proper send off, a funeral service for ruined swords. He took the loss well on the outside, but Sanji knew he still felt it on the inside.

Zoro never removed his swords. He slept with the damn things strapped to his waist. If he did take them off for training (or to bathe, as Sanji assumed he didn't take them into the bath with him) they were never more than an arm's length away from him. Zoro was a swordsman down to his core, and he would never be caught off guard without his weapons. The fact that he'd easily passed them off to Sanji overwhelmed the cook. He was being trusted with everything that was Zoro in his arms.

He admired the white one (Wado, he believed) and felt a small pang of jealousy. Of all of his swords, this one seemed to be truly precious to the swordsman. Zoro almost seemed to share a bond with this sword, as if it were a living thing. Sanji knew it was stupid to feel jealous of an inanimate object, but the idea that this sword received more care and affection from Zoro than Sanji had ever felt from another person caused another pang in his chest.

"How many of these did you want?" Zoro shouted down to him.

Sanji ripped his gaze from the white sword and shook his previous thoughts from his head. "Just get as many as you can," He called back to the marimo.

Zoro nodded and Sanji was left to his thoughts again. He decided not to think too much about what the swords meant to Zoro, and instead admired each one in turn, from hilt to scabbard. He didn't dare draw any of them out. The idea felt almost invasive, like walking in on Zoro in the shower or something. No, the blades were for Zoro's eyes only; Sanji didn't need to look at them too closely.

He was so captivated by the swords he never heard the figure approaching from behind. It wasn't until he felt a tap on his shoulder that he even realized he was no longer alone beneath the tree. A very brief intake of his surroundings told him the swordsman was still in the tree, and he immediately tensed, prepared for an attack.

The person behind him tapped his shoulder again. It was more of a slap, unrestrained and hardly gentle, though not really hard enough to hurt him. It was like a slap on the back that one of his crewmates might give him after a victory or during a drunken party. The idea hardly relaxed him though; he knew it couldn't possibly be one of his nakama. They were never so quiet at the one behind him was. Perhaps it could have been Robin, but then Robin wasn't really one for slaps on the back. Bracing himself for whoever may be behind him, Sanji pushed off with his left leg and spun quickly on his right heel, putting a little bit of distance between him and the new comer.

The sight before him stunned him into silence for hardly a moment before he let out a yelp that hardly sounded masculine. Behind him stood a cricket the size of a small deer but with longer legs. The thing that had been tapping Sanji's shoulder so playfully had been one of the insect's feelers, which were dancing around the crickets head curiously.

Sanji cried out again and backed into the tree, fully prepared to risk his hand, his legs, anything to get away from the overly large bug. He hated bugs, especially large ones. The largest bugs he'd seen so far in the Grand Line had been on Jaya, and compared to the cricket before him now, those had been small.

Before he could claw his way up the tree though, a figure dropped from the top with a loud thud. The swordsman straightened, having picked up one of the swords that Sanji had carelessly thrown in his haste to escape. Almost too quickly for Sanji to make sense of, Zoro unsheathed his sword and swung it easily through the cricket before them. The insect fell apart in two neatly sliced pieces and the swordsman carefully returned his sword to its scabbard before the pieces had even hit the ground.

Later, Sanji would blame the fear that still washing through his system for his actions. Zoro turned, his mouth open and what was no doubt going to be a smart aleck remark about Sanji's fear about to tumble from his lips. Before he could speak though, Sanji threw his arms around the swordsman's neck and buried his face into the skin there.

"Cook?" Zoro questioned uncertainly. "Are you okay?" He lightly rested a hand on Sanji's back, completely taken aback by the cook's actions. "You're shaking," He remarked with surprise.

"I h-hate bugs," Sanji stuttered out, clinging tighter to the man before him.

Zoro almost wanted to laugh, but that seemed inappropriate for the situation. Everyone was entitled to have a fear he supposed. Instead of laughing, he held the cook a little closer and nuzzled the fine golden strands of his hair. He had to remind his rapidly beating heart that this was Sanji's reaction to fear and not a response to his own feelings. While they were in this position though, he'd allow himself just a moment of indulgence.

After a several minutes, Sanji's shaking stopped and his breathing returned to normal, but he didn't move for a moment out of sheer embarrassment. What was he doing clinging to Zoro like a starving man clung to food? Not to mention he was sure to hear about it from Zoro, having such a stupid fear of bugs. With a final deep breath he resigned himself to the embarrassing aftermath of his actions and pulled away from the swordsman.

Zoro released him easily, but Sanji was far too embarrassed to make eye contact or strike up a conversation with the marimo. Instead his eyes scanned the ground, searching for anything that would take his attention off the whole incident.

Something like the hilt of a sword.

"Oh shit!" Sanji cursed, dipping down and picking up the sword he'd carelessly discarded. A few feet away laid another and Sanji scrambled to pick it up too. "Shit, shit," He repeated. He gave them both a quick once over. They seemed relatively unharmed, but he couldn't help but feel absolutely terrible for dropping them in the first place. "Shit, Zoro, I'm so sorry. I panicked. I shouldn't have dropped them bu-"

"Are you okay?" The swordsman asked, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Sanji looked at Zoro for the first time since he'd thrown himself at him. "What? I'm talking about your swords, I'm so sorry I-"

"Forget about the swords," Zoro said seriously, stepping closer and taking both the swords from Sanji's grasp. They joined the third one as he refastened them to his hip. He didn't even look at them; instead he fixed Sanji with a serious look. "I'm asking you if you're okay."

Sanji stared blankly at the swordsman. He'd just thrown this man's most treasured items to the ground and fled. If anyone treated something of Sanji's that way, they'd end up answering to his foot. But Zoro hadn't even so much as inspected the state of his swords before expressing his concern for Sanji. It implied he cared for Sanji's well being at least as much as his swords.

The thought caused a bright flush of color on the cook's face. "I'm fine," He replied quietly. "It just startled me."

Zoro nodded and leaned to pick up the pack he'd taken down with him during his fall. "Come on, I think we have plenty of these. Let's get out of these woods."

* * *

The whole return walk (which Sanji led as Zoro conceded that he had no idea how to get back to the Sunny from there) was spent in silence. Sanji waited for the inevitable taunt from the swordsman, but it never came. That made Sanji even more uncomfortable, for surely if Zoro wasn't going to laugh at him now, he'd do it in front of the others for the full embarrassment effect. He'd smoked through half a pack of cigarettes already in order to keep himself calm both from the incident before and from the swordsman's unnerving silence.

They took a short break when they reached the patch of leafy grasses that Sanji had been planning on using in tonight's dinner. Zoro waited patiently, sipping at some water from his canteen, while Sanji gathered the greens. When he had enough to make a satisfactory salad for the crew, he rejoined the swordsman.

Zoro capped his canteen and made to move on, but a tug at his shirt stopped him.

"You can laugh, if you want," Sanji said, jaw jutting defiantly and teeth clenched around his cigarette, but his eyes refused to meet Zoro's. "But I'd rather you didn't run and tell everyone. It's a little embarrassing."

Zoro did want to laugh, but not about the cricket. Truthfully he didn't blame the cook, that thing had been freaky. He wanted to laugh at the fact that despite the fact that the cook had just had a break down about a bug and feared the ridicule he'd get from the rest of the crew, he was still acting as cool as ice. Zoro knew Sanji well enough to know an act when he saw one, but it was still an impressive attempt. Naturally, the love-cook wouldn't allow himself not to look cool for even a moment, especially when his pride was on the line.

"Oi, Cook," Zoro chuckled. He grabbed the cook's chin and forced Sanji to look at him. "Look at me," It was too rough to be an intimate gesture, rather instead he hoped it pissed the cook off.

Sanji's eyes met the swordsman's and sure enough he could see simmering rage underneath the eerie calm the cook displayed. "I'm not going to tell anyone," Zoro said. "Everyone is afraid of something. It's not a bad thing, it just means you have something to get stronger for and overcome." With that said he released the cook and turned to head back to the Sunny.

"What are you afraid of?" Sanji asked behind him.

Zoro shrugged. "Who knows, I'm sure there's something," He replied.

Sanji rolled his eyes; it was typical marimo answer. He watched the moss-head walk on ahead and felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He knew Zoro was a man of his word, and he knew the swordsman wouldn't tell the others. Apparently he was also spared his own personal ridicule from Zoro as well. That made him feel loads lighter and a broad smile worked its way onto his face.

"Hey, Marimo!" He called. Zoro stopped and turned to let Sanji know he was listening.

"You're going the wrong way, the Sunny is that way," Sanji smirked, pointing the in the opposite direction of where Zoro was heading off too.

With a scowl and an unintelligible grumble Zoro turned and headed the direction Sanji was pointing. Sanji laughed and followed, keeping the marimo on course all the way back to the Sunny.

* * *

**A/N:**

Phew. I'm quite pleased with this chapter! I can't even tell you the difficulties I had writing it. Major writer's block descended upon me about a quarter of the way through. I wanted to just rage quit the whole story for a moment (I won't do that, but oh how tempting it was). I made it through though, and I'm relatively happy with the results.

Thank you all so much for the reviews! They are really so, so helpful and encouraging! I've taken quite a few tips from people and I'm learning as I go, so thank you guys for all of the help and smiles you've given me. Your reviews make me so happy to read so by all means keep them coming!

Can you guys tell I have no creativity when it comes to making up monster animals? I mean, a meat-eating squirrel with two tails? Even I think that's a little lame. But squirrels are secretly very evil underneath their cute exteriors.

I feel like there was more I wanted to address...but it's all slipped my mind now. Oh well, I'll conclude my author's note here. Thank you for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love**

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**9. Sanji isn't a girl.**

Setting aside the fact that Sanji lacked the parts to be female, Zoro had a protective streak a mile wide for those he cared about. Sanji didn't need to be protected and coddled; he could take care of himself.

* * *

That night the Straw Hats threw themselves a party. It was a small party, they hadn't had one without outsiders since before Franky and Brook joined, but the crew had enough energy to make up for the lack of people. Something about being stuck at sea for so long tended to make you a little giddy when you finally reached land, and of course this was no less true for Luffy.

Sanji cooked a fair sized meal (another cause for celebration, in Luffy's opinion) and was far more at ease than he had been in weeks. He was finally able to feed his crew a well-balanced meal that filled them to satisfaction. Luffy's insatiable appetite aside, he knew they'd all been leaving the table just slightly above hungry. No one dared make a comment about the quality or quantity of food to Sanji though, that was suicide.

Tonight though, there had been plenty of food to go around. Sanji had baked, fried, and boiled the various types of shellfish that Chopper and Usopp had discovered on the shore, made a delicate salad with the greens he'd found, and served both baked and fresh apples. Once his crew had been fed, Sanji felt his spirits lift. He sat in front of the bonfire they had started and lit a cigarette, inhaling the sweet nicotine and enjoying the cool night air warring with the fire's blazing heat.

He was so content at the moment that he didn't even get upset when the marimo sat beside him. Sanji chose not to acknowledge the other man's presence, and continued just to enjoy his peaceful moment. Of course, the marimo couldn't let him have that.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" He asked, gesturing at the younger boys.

The thing the marimo was referring to was a carbon copy of Sanji's cricket friend from earlier, the one that had sent him throwing himself into the swordsman's arms (Sanji still felt embarrassed by his actions, but forced himself not to think too much about it before he started blushing again). Earlier that day, Luffy and Chopper had come racing back to their makeshift camp hauling said cricket in Luffy's rubbery arms. They began to explain in a jumbled rush of excitement that was entirely lost on the rest of the crew. They _were_ able to pick up that Luffy had liked the cricket and considered it a new friend, and Chopper apparently translated cricket speech and determined the cricket harmless.

Since then, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and occasionally Brook, had been playing games with their new friend. Sanji refused to go near the thing, but it was hard to call for its immediate extermination when Chopper looked at you with those big brown eyes. Instead Sanji made sure he sat wherever the cricket was not and decided to carry on with his evening peacefully.

Of course, the marimo had been putting a small damper on that. From the moment Luffy had dragged the cricket into the camp, the marimo seemed to be permanently glued to his side and had been checking on his wellbeing every couple of hours. It had been an almost touching gesture at first, but it wore on the cook's nerves quickly and it wasn't long before he could feel his patience with the swordsman waning.

So he'd had a moment. A moment of weakness that he almost never showed, but due to an unfortunate surprise he'd revealed directly to the swordsman. He wasn't proud of that, and while he was happy that Zoro had decided not to mock him for it or tell the others, it seemed the marimo wasn't quite letting it go the way Sanji had hoped he would. No, instead he seemed to have elected himself to be Sanji's body guard, a role Sanji could handle just fine on his own.

Sanji turned his icy glare on the swordsman. "I am fine," He ground out, enunciating each word carefully as if the marimo didn't understand them.

Zoro took a swig of his drink and looked sideways at the cook. "I was just checking. Earlier you said you hated bugs," He paused and looked over at their new cricket companion again. "I can get rid of it, if it would make you feel better."

Sanji's patience snapped in two. The fragile, delicate line that had been holding it together split like an overstretched rubber band. He was on his feet before he even realized he'd moved, and his cigarette had been sent tumbling down to the rocks and sand beneath him.

"_I. Do not. Need. Your help!" _He shouted, catching the attention of several members of the crew, who turned to watch the fight between the two unfold. "I'm Blackleg Sanji! I am not some pushover who needs some shitty marimo to protect me!"

He spun and stomped off to the ship. They had been planning to spend the night on the beach, but Sanji thought he might actually murder Zoro if he had to stay in his presence for another minute. He doubted very much the others would take their nakama killing each other very well. No, for tonight he'd stay on the ship. He'd be alone, but his outburst left him with a swell of rage and he'd much rather simmer down on his own.

The others carefully congregated around Zoro, who hadn't so much as twitched a muscle since the cook had stormed away. The look on his face was indecipherable, and the others grew worried.

"What on earth was that about?" Nami asked, taking a brave step closer to the swordsman.

Despite the expectant looks he was receiving from the rest of the crew, the swordsman remained quiet and unresponsive. Only the slight crease between his eyebrows gave away that he had any emotions at all. It was something only his nakama had come to notice, and even then I was hard for them to tell if they didn't look carefully.

"You and Cook-san seemed to have been getting along so well lately," Robin commented.

"Yeah, I was super surprised when you and Curly-bro volunteered to go out together," Franky added.

Nami and Robin exchanged a knowing look and Usopp regarded the swordsman with some level of understanding. Zoro ignored them all with the determination and concentration he usually only showed in battle. The crew however, would not be deterred, and after a few moments of unnerving silence between them, Zoro suddenly shot to his feet.

"I'm going on a walk," He announced, careful to convey in his tone that he wanted to be left alone.

"Try not to get lost," Nami said to him, her tone mocking and dripping with her displeasure.

Zoro shot her a glare and continued past the crew. Luffy, Chopper, and the cricket were hovering on the edge of the group, and Zoro stopped before he past them. "Luffy, Chopper, that thing is nothing but trouble," He growled out. "Get rid of it or I will," He tapped his thumb suggestively on the hilt of one of his katana before continuing on. Behind him, a chorus of boos and insults rose from the two boys but Zoro ignored them.

True, the cricket seemed harmless enough. It _technically_ hadn't done anything wrong, but Zoro hated the thing regardless. That was the damn cook's fault. He'd never seen Sanji so scared in all the time he'd known him, it rattled Zoro's nerves. All because of a stupid cricket. What an idiot.

Zoro let out a heavy sigh and let his feet lead him to the ship. As much as it pained him to admit it, he'd been wrong and owed the cook and apology. Usually the shit-cook's mood swings were as big a mystery to the swordsman as Usopp's nose, but this time he knew what was wrong. He knew because it was one point he and the cook could agree on; the two of them were strong. Zoro knew that while Sanji may not have enjoyed the presence of Luffy and Chopper's new friend, he was strong enough to overcome that. Zoro had been outright insulting the cook's strength by checking on him like he was a child.

The moment Sanji had in the woods was for Zoro's eyes only, although probably the cook wished Zoro would forget it too. They'd been having a nice day, nothing was threatening them, and they were at ease for the first time in the long time. Perhaps that's why the sudden appearance of a large (and freaky looking, even in Zoro's opinion) insect startled the cook so badly. Zoro caught a rare sight in that moment, but he understood it wasn't something the cook was likely to repeat.

Zoro couldn't forget it so easily though. It had shaken Zoro to see the cook so frightened, and Zoro wondered if he'd ever forget the sight. He was with Sanji on this one, he hoped so. It was because he couldn't shake the memory from his mind that he'd been so concerned when Luffy had brought that _thing_ back with him. He should have known better. The cook had tried to be patient with him (an amazing feat for someone with a quick temper like Sanji). He could see the hurt and anger slowly building, simmering just beneath the surface, held in by Sanji's willpower alone. Until Zoro pushed too hard and caused the whole thing to explode.

Now he just had to hope the cook would forgive him.

* * *

Sanji stared into the pantry. There wasn't much left inside it. Half a sack of rice, some jarred and canned preserves, and a small sack of nuts he and Zoro had gathered that day. All in all not much had changed since the last time he'd despairingly looked in it. But Sanji wasn't really seeing the contents of his empty pantry. Once he'd returned to the ship, anger still coursing in his veins, he retreated to the only area that was strictly his: the galley. True he shared meals with his nakama at the dining room table at least three times a day and washed dishes with the marimo after every meal, but for the most part the kitchen was his area.

In the small ship no one could really claim one area to themselves, but they each of them had an area they valued as "theirs". Sanji's was the kitchen, Nami's was her office, and Luffy's was the figurehead. Zoro spent a large amount of time weight training in the crow's nest, so that even when he was not on watch, the room still gave the feeling of being his. Robin spent much of her time in the library, rereading books she'd read a thousand times before. Frank and Usopp split the work shop in two and each had a half to themselves. Chopper was the only one allowed in the sick bay (besides those who were sick or injured), and Brook alternated between the aquarium room and the lawn deck, where he could bask in the sun.

Sanji felt more at ease in the galley, pouring over routines he'd done a million times before but would do again just for the sake of keeping busy. Unfortunately being so low on food meant all his usual tasks were short lived and he found himself hitting a dead end when he opened his nearly empty pantry. A dead end meant his mind was free to wander, and of course it took a beeline course for the swordsman.

Had his actions not been so insulting, Sanji would have been touched by Zoro's concern. It was rare to see Zoro so considerate of someone's feelings, and Sanji thought it was sort of nice to be thought of. For that reason he'd tried to be patient with the other man, despite the fact that the marimo's over protective nature pissed him off as much as it flattered him. After a whole evening of it, Sanji couldn't take anymore. He was Blackleg Sanji, seventy-seven million beri pirate. He did not need the protection of a cabbage-brained marimo.

Sanji wished he could go back and time and undo that afternoon in the woods. He'd give anything for Zoro not to give him _that look._ The look that suggested the swordsman was pitying him, waiting for poor Sanji to have another break down. A look that seemed to convey the feeling that Sanji was weak and Zoro was there to cover for poor weak little Sanji.

The thought sent a fresh wave of anger coursing through Sanji's blood stream and he slammed the pantry door closed with far more force than necessary.

"You know if you break that door Franky's going to have your head, and Nami will make you pay for it."

Sanji spun quickly in surprise. As if summoned by his rage filled thoughts, the swordsman in question leaned against the galley door with his arms folded across his chest. Sanji's surprised expression quickly changed to a glare that could kill.

"What the hell do you want, bastard?" He spat. "Fuck off somewhere else. I'm busy," He spun and opened the pantry again. He knew there was nothing to do in there, but he just needed to look busy for the span of time it took Zoro to leave the room.

But Zoro didn't leave. Instead there was a long moment of heavy silence before Zoro spoke again. "There's nothing in there, Cook."

"I know that!" Sanji growled, slamming the door shut once again (though with slightly less force this time, as Zoro was right about Franky's reaction). He marched towards the swordsman, building up a menacing aura as he went. "I was just waiting for you to _go,_" He emphasized the last word with a jab at the door, hoping the idiot would get the hint that Sanji was in no mood for him.

However, Zoro didn't move, and there was another stretch of silence which Sanji spent thinking up as many colorful insults as possible. He was just about to open his mouth and let them out when the swordsman muttered out a single word:

"Heights."

Sanji stopped short in front of the swordsman, mouth open and ready to pour insults on to the man like water, but nothing came out. Once again the marimo's completely erratic thought process had thrown him off.

"What?" He finally managed to get out, after working his jaw around the word a few times.

"You asked what I was afraid of. The answer is heights," Zoro explained. He was scowling at the floor hard enough to burn a hole through it.

Sanji wrapped his head around that statement several times. "Bullshit," He finally replied. "You've been in high places loads of times, you've never once looked afraid."

Zoro looked up, meeting Sanji's eyes. "That's because I try not to think about it. I focus on other things, the same way you do," He gave the cook and earnest and understanding look. "And I would really hate it if you tried to comfort me every time we ended up on top of a tall building."

Sanji raised his eyebrow. It was nearly impossible for him to process, but...was the marimo admitting he was wrong? Not only had he admitted his fault, he was evening the ground they stood on again. He knew what scared Sanji the most, and now Sanji knew what frightened the moss-head the most. That alone made Sanji feel loads better than he had felt since that afternoon. They were equals again.

"Is this an apology, Marimo?" Sanji asked, a teasing smirk making its way onto his face.

Zoro's frown deepened and he looked away petulantly. "Something like that," He muttered.

Sanji's smirk widened into a broad smile. "Accepted," He said. "I'll forgive you this time, Marimo, but now that I know you know better, I won't forgive you so easily next time."

Zoro's head whipped back and he fixed a glare on the cook. "Who cares about your forgiveness? I just didn't want the others to have to see you cry!" He shouted.

That of course sparked an argument, which led to a fight, which let the others know that everything was right again between their cook and their swordsman.

* * *

Sanji rose with the sun the next morning. It was hard not to with its light filtering blindingly through his eyelids. He was for the moment the first one up as he looked around at his sleeping nakama. After the fight he and Zoro had, Sanji was in a much better mood and rejoined the others to camp outside. Around him now a few of the others were stirring. Robin-chan who was usually the next to rise after the cook seemed to blink slowly into alertness, and Nami-swan's restless turning seemed to suggest she was not far behind. Others, like Luffy, could sleep through canon fire, so the sun's rising was of little consequence to them.

Between the sprawled out Luffy and Usopp who could only be seen by his nose peeking out from his bedroll, was their cricket friend, seemingly asleep if its stillness was any indication. Sanji really couldn't tell as it didn't have eyelids to close. Some feet from the group of new found friendship, between them and the cook, lay the swordsman with his arms behind his head, looking every bit as he did when he was catching an afternoon nap.

Sanji had given Zoro a warning glare when the swordsman had chosen to situate his bedroll between Sanji and his worst nightmare, fearing it was another act of pity on the swordsman's part. The marimo ignored the look though, and after situating his bedroll, he promptly fell asleep, snoring lightly. Sanji still suspected that Zoro had chosen that spot on purpose, but he decided to let it go. It did, after all, make him feel slightly better that the cricket would have to get past the swordsman to get to him. It was that frame of thought that allowed the cook to rest peacefully.

Sanji stretched his arms over his head and gave a friendly good morning wave to the beautiful Robin-chwan before pulling himself to his feet and making for the ship. He'd get a start on breakfast since he was up, and start on some lunches for the crew to take with them on another day of reckless playing in the forest. As he made his way up the gangplank and into the galley he made a mental meal plan with his limited supplies, as well as a list of ingredients he'd like to try to find. He'd also have to make sure to touch base with Usopp about those traps.

The list of things he needed to do continued while he worked, keeping his mind as busy as his hands. Before he realized it he was nearly finished with their lunches, and their breakfast was arranged on covered trays and ready to be taken to the beach. It was then that the marimo entered.

"Need a hand?" He asked while Sanji marveled at his impeccable timing.

Sanji gave the marimo some directions and together they took breakfast out to the crew. The smell of freshly made food woke the last of their sleeping crew members, and they enjoyed breakfast together. With the addition of one creepy crawly bug that received scraps of food from various crew members. Sanji would have protested this, but he had never denied a living thing food before and he wasn't about to start now.

After breakfast the crew began to discuss their plans for the day. Chopper would be joining Luffy and the cricket for a frolic in the woods. Usopp would go with Franky in search of quality spare wood and any other materials they could make useful. Nami would spend the day surveying more of the island with Robin and Brook as company. Sanji glared jealously at the skeleton. He would get to spend the day in the company of two beautiful women while Sanji would be spending it again in the company of a muscle-brained marimo.

Without having to be asked, Zoro had volunteered his services to Sanji again for the day. Deep down inside (deep, deep down) Sanji had to admit he looked forward to another day in the company of the swordsman. Zoro, when he wasn't picking a fight or getting lost, was actually a very nice travel companion. They could walk in silence together without any need to make idle chit-chat.

When breakfast was finished, the lunches distributed, and the dishes done (with Zoro's aid) Sanji picked up his pack. Looping it over his shoulders, he turned to watch the marimo do the same, and together they headed out. Sanji had a good feeling about the day, and he set off with the swordsman in good spirits.

* * *

It was a good day for Sanji. Together he and Zoro had found more than enough food to carry them through to the next island. They returned to camp with their packs heavy and very full of edible vegetation and assorted wildlife. Before they'd all separated that morning Sanji had asked Usopp about traps and the sharpshooter had set them up with several easy-to-set and effective traps. Sanji had been a little wary about what they would catch, but the squirrels and rabbits that fell for the traps didn't seem that much different from the ones Sanji had experience with, aside from their unusual appearances and diets.

He was in such high spirits that he and Zoro even made friendly conversation on their way back to camp. Well, mostly he talked since the marimo wasn't much of a conversationalist. But Zoro responded to his comments in a friendly enough matter and didn't seem to mind the cook's endless meal planning. The swordsman even asked a few questions and Sanji was delighted by his curiosity.

Up until this point Sanji imagined Zoro to be a stubborn moron with nothing but swords on his mind, but lately he was seeing a new Zoro. They were fleeting glimpses, like peeks through a crack, but he was seeing a Zoro that was much more than Sanji had pictured Zoro to be. He wondered if this warmer, more open Zoro was the same Zoro everyone else knew, but Sanji had never bothered to see until the swordsman had asked him to.

They emerged from the woods in a bright mood, a mood that was quickly wiped from both men when they caught sight of their nakama on the beach. All of the others had gathered there, and were staring the opposite direction of Sanji and Zoro. There was an almost tangible air of tenseness surrounding them and they each stood defensively, as if they were ready for a battle that could commence at any moment. Robin with her arms crossed loosely in front of her, Nami with her hands reaching for the parts of her Clima Tackt. Usopp had his sling shot armed and ready and Franky had already opened one of the weapons chambers on his arms. Brook had one skeletal hand on the handle of his cane, ready for a quick draw of his sword. Only Luffy looked at ease with one finger in his nose, entirely oblivious to the straining intensity coming from his crew.

Chopper was no where to be found.

Sanji and Zoro followed their nakama's gazes across the beach. There across the sand, just barely emerged from the forest was the most frightening thing Sanji had ever witnessed. It was a cricket, like the one the others had been playing with during their stay, or the one Zoro had killed for Sanji in the woods the previous day. Instead of being the size of a small deer like the others, however, this one was the size of an elephant, and had bright green markings down on his head and down its body that resembled war paint. The green was so fluorescent it practically glowed, and Sanji wondered if it did just that at night.

Carefully so as to not draw attention to themselves, Sanji and Zoro made their way to the rest of the crew. They were greeted by and imperceptible nodding of Robin's head and a relieved look from Usopp.

"What's going on?" Sanji asked quietly.

"It seems the crickets on this island live in a social colony, and we are meeting their queen," Robin informed them. "She was quite upset when she arrived, giving us quite the scare. It seems one of her young has been found dead and she blames us newcomers for her loss," She paused a moment to give Sanji and Zoro a look that suggested she knew exactly who had killed the young cricket. "Captain's cricket and Doctor-san have calmed her down, and Doctor-san is trying to talk with her now."

"So Chopper's alright," Zoro sighed in relief.

Sanji mirrored that relief. He'd been afraid something horrible had happened to their youngest nakama. If he looked closely though, down at the elephant cricket's foot, he could see the hat of the little reindeer, bobbing on his head while Chopper explained their situation.

"How long has that been going on?" Zoro asked, flicking his chin up in Chopper's direction while quietly flicking Wado from her sheath.

"About twenty minutes," Nami answered, eyes never leaving the cricket before them. "And no sign about how it's going, we're at a stalemate for the moment."

Sanji watched the exchange across the beach, searching for any sign that the conversation was swinging either way. Unfortunately, crickets don't have much in the way of facial expression, and Chopper's face remained neutral and cool. The little doctor had a much better head for situations like these than the others did, and even if he weren't the only one that could communicate with them, he'd have been the best man for the job.

Having been filled in on the situation, Sanji and Zoro lapsed into silence like the rest. Together they all watched the little reindeer try to persuade the cricket to leave them alone. The tense atmosphere made Sanji break out in a light sweat, and he could feel the intensity and readiness of his nakama like a vibration in the air, shaking him into action as well. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He needed the nicotine, especially with Zoro beside him standing shockingly still, eyes glued to the situation. The swordsman looked almost at ease, were it not for his intense stare and the thrumming energy rolling off of him in waves.

Finally something changed. Though Chopper was difficult to see clearly from their position he seemed to go entirely still. His wide eyes seemed to widen even further, and without any signal he turned and raced quickly back toward the crew.

"She won't listen to reason!" Chopper shouted. "She's upset! She's calling her family now!"

"Calling her family?" Sanji frowned. "What the hell does that-" Before he could even finish his sentence a loud shrieking noise drowned him out. The grinding squeal was supposed to be a cricket's chirp, he supposed, but it was much, much louder, leaving the some of the crew covering their ears. The noise was sharp and loud, but over fairly quickly. The Straw Hats recovered in time to see a hoard of large crickets convening before the queen on the beach.

"Alright Mr. Cricket," Luffy said quietly, his tone dangerously amused. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. "You asked for it."

That was all the invitation the Straw Hats needed to wage war.

* * *

Crickets were not the hardest adversary. They had little in the way of weaponry besides their blunt antennae and a sharp pair of pincers in front of their mouths. On the other hand they were also not the easiest adversary. They could fly, for one, and were prone to using their higher ground to their advantage, and they were covered in a thick exoskeleton that was a challenge for even Sanji to break through in one go. Luffy quickly put a stop to the first problem but using his "rocket" to climb onto the nearest flying cricket and strike the others down from there. The second problem could be remedied by a few more hits, making the hard casing give way.

The biggest problem was numbers; each time the Straw Hats beat down one wave of crickets, another would surge forward to take their place. It seemed to be a never ending cycle, but Sanji knew the crew had fought harder battles. What concerned him more was the elephant sized cricket. If her children could leave a nasty bruise or a bite on the arm, she could surely easily crush them or bite them in two.

She couldn't be taken down easily either. She was blessed with a thicker shell than her children. Luffy tried to break through it and had his fist bounce off for his trouble. Robin, who had been doing a fairly good job snapping the legs of the smaller ones with her abilities, had hands far too small to grip at the queens large body. Frank and Usopp had both taken shots at her, but for all the good it did they may as well have saved their ammo. Brook's shikomizue merely glanced off the queen's legs. Nami even struck her with a bolt of lightning, but aside from being stunned for a mere half a second, the cricket remained unfazed.

Sanji moved closer. He had the strongest kick in the Grand Line, he was sure of that, and if anyone could kick through an impossibly thick exoskeleton, it was him. It seemed Zoro had a similar idea about his own abilities as he soon appeared at Sanji's side.

"Oi, Shit-cricket!" Sanji called out.

The queen cricket, who had been dancing with Usopp in an attempt to smash him, turned at Sanji's insult. He couldn't understand cricket-speak, but he was sure she was offended by his attitude.

"Are you sure you don't want to call off the rest of your shitty kids before we kill you and the rest of them?" Sanji asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke and stubbing out his spent cigarette.

Whatever he response was, Sanji figured it wasn't positive when one of her antennae swung quickly towards them. Sanji flipped backwards and out of the way and Zoro landed lightly next to him. With an unspoken agreement, he and Zoro split apart, each running towards opposite sides of the cricket. Hopefully one would distract her while the other landed a devastating blow.

Sanji for his part ran full speed for her left, dodging a swing from one of her legs and using it as a stepping stone to her body. Taking out her legs was all well and good, but the sooner she was dead the better, so Sanji would go for a killing blow. With one more leap off the bend of her knee, Sanji readied himself for a final blow.

Before he could land the hit though, the cricket queen fluttered her large wings, and a gust of air knocked Sanji easily aside. He landed in a heap in the rocky sand below, effectively knocking his head on the ground when he landed. He sat up quickly, but he was dazed and dizzy from the blow to his head. He could make out the cricket queen approaching and struggled to right himself, but his legs were being as useful as a new born giraffe's at the moment. Each attempt to stand only resulted in a stumbling fall. He took a deep breath and shook his head, attempting to clear it of the spinning sensation.

It worked, after only a few seconds his vision started to stabilize, and he could feel the steady strength returning to his legs. It was too late though, he cleared his vision just in time to see the cricket queen approaching, her pincers clacking towards him in irritation. Perhaps he could have moved, had he not been paralyzed in fear. He stared at the oncoming pincers with only one thought racing through his mind:

_Of course I'm going to be killed by a damn bug._

"What the hell are you doing, Cook?!" Someone called, shaking Sanji from his peaceful pre-death moment. It wasn't just anyone of course; Sanji would recognize that voice anywhere. It was a nice voice to hear before the end, he supposed. Sanji had really been falling for the swordsman lately after all. It was probably okay to admit that now: He had fallen for Roronoa Zoro.

Suddenly a blur of green appeared before him. Sanji's eyes widened in disbelief, but there was Zoro, right before his eyes. The swordsman spared him half a glance, relief plainly written on his face, before the pincers closed around his midsection.

Sanji watched the next few seconds in slow motion. Blood dripped thick and heavy from the swordsman's sides, splashing into the sand below as he was lifted up, up and away from Sanji. Zoro's teeth were gritted in pain, and a sheen of sweat coated the swordsman's head. Zoro's face contorted as the pincers squeezed him harder before releasing.

Never in his entire life would Sanji forget the sight of Zoro's body as it fell limply from the queen cricket's mouth and landed with a final and resounding thud onto the ground below.

* * *

**A/N:**

To my wonderful, amazing, adorable, sweet readers: Thank you! This story past over 100 follows this week. I can't even tell you what that means to me. As this is my first fic, I was not expecting this kind of result. Thank you all so much for reading!

And to you fantastic, incredible, stupendous reviewers: a huge thank you! You guys are the voices of my motivation and sometimes the nagging reminders in my head to fix this and that. You've all been wonderful and thank you so much.

Ah wow. This is chapter 10 huh? We've come pretty far.

I also apologize again for any mistakes. My sleep deprived brain will probably have missed many.

About Zoro's fear of heights, I'll give you a peak into my brain. What else would Zoro be afraid of. I'm pretty sure he's not afraid of anything, but he needed to have a fear. I figured since Kuina died falling down steps, maybe Zoro had a slight thing against high places. It was the only reasonable fear I could think up, but hopefully it's acceptable.

Also, I took some creative liberties on the anatomy of crickets, I know crickets do not have pincers (at least I don't think so). I also know insects cannot grow to the size of a deer or an elephant. So any of my biology and/or insect loving readers, I apologize for my absolutely non-realistic monster crickets. I hope you'll be able to see past that.

Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


	11. Chapter 11

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love **

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**10. Zoro is always covered in blood.  
**Sanji isn't prissy, but he does value his appearance at least a little bit. Blood stains on clothing is a huge turn off. But the worst part is...a lot of the time, the blood Zoro is covered with is his own.

* * *

"Shit, shit, fucking shit," Sanji cursed, pacing back and forth in front of the sick bay's door. He'd been banished from the sick bay itself for similar behavior. Chopper didn't take well to frantic, curse mumbling cooks when there was a medical emergency at hand.

The battle had ended pretty quickly after Zoro hit the sand. Sanji's leg was on fire with his Diable Jambe before he'd even put thought into the action, and the intense heat helped to crack through the queen's thick shell. It was all downhill from there, the crack allowed the others to get their shots in. The queen didn't stand a chance against the full force of the Straw Hat pirate crew at that point. With her death, her children panicked; some fleeing, some still attempting to best the pirates, but it was an attempt made in vain.

Sanji didn't care to see anymore. There were more important things on his mind at the moment. Leaving the rest of the battle to his nakama, he moved towards the still figure in the sand. Zoro hadn't moved since he'd landed, and Sanji approached with a deep feeling of dread. Blood pooled around the figure on the ground, soaking into the sand and staining the whole scene a reddish-brown color.

It was a lot of blood, even for the swordsman, who frequently spilled blood in large quantities. Sanji knelt beside the swordsman's body, not giving a care that blood was soaking through his pants. He tried to survey the damage to Zoro's body, though his medical knowledge stopped at cleaning out knife wounds.

Blood trickled in a steady stream from the swordsman's side. How he still had blood to lose, Sanji didn't know. Zoro had landed on his right side, but Sanji knew there was an identical wound opposite of the one he was looking at. Aside from the gaping hole in his side, the fall itself had given the swordsman a smattering of bruises and cuts. Sanji had no idea if anything was broken. He had no idea if there was internal damage to match all the external damage.

Sanji had no idea if the Zoro was dead or not.

"CHOPPER!" He shouted, his voice nearly breaking at the volume. It didn't stop him from shouting again, louder. "CHOPPER!"

After that, Chopper had Sanji help to carry Zoro back to the ship and into the tiny medical room. When Sanji begged to be allowed to stay Chopper relented, but when Sanji proved to be of no use for anything other than panicking Chopper quickly sent him to wait outside. And there Sanji still was, over an hour later. He leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor; his panic driven adrenalin rush was finally giving out, leaving him exhausted. He felt like half his life had drained away in the last hour that he'd spent worrying. If that shitty swordsman lived through this, Sanji would kill him.

Finally the door to the sick bay opened once again, and Chopper emerged, wiping at his hooves with a clean towel. His little hands might have been clean, but the rest of him was splattered with a disturbing amount of blood. Sanji shot to his feet, anxiously awaiting news Chopper was taking (in Sanji's opinion) far too long to give.

"Well?" Sanji edged impatiently. "Is he alive or dead?"

Chopper blinked, looking almost surprised to see Sanji standing before him. The little doctor look down, his eyebrows furrowing the way they did when he was troubled by something. Usually Sanji found this sort of expression endearing, but at the moment it filled him with dread.

"He lost a lot of blood, suffered a few broken ribs," Chopper listed off mechanically, he was in his professional doctor mode at the moment. "I'm worried about his head from that fall, but fortunately he doesn't have any spinal fractions or broken limbs. I managed to stop the bleeding and he's resting now, but..." Chopper's voice cracked and the façade of professionalism he wore fell apart, revealing a young and innocent boy underneath. "It's really bad Sanji. He lost a lot of blood, and his wounds were really deep, and I have no idea when he'll wake up or if he'll be okay..." With that the little reindeer broke into tears and flung himself at Sanji, hugging at his knees with all his might.

Sanji felt a horrible sense of guilt welling up in him. It was, after all, his fault Zoro was in this state. That meant it was also his fault that the usually sweet and innocent Chopper was sobbing into Sanji's legs. Sanji crouched down, a difficult feat with a small doctor clinging so desperately to your legs, but he managed to get Chopper to loosen his hold.

Once he was more to Chopper's level he patted their little doctor on his head. "Zoro will be fine Chopper," Sanji said with a reassuring smile. "I've seen him nearly cut in half before and get up a few hours later. No one's stronger than Zoro. I guarantee he'll be up and about lifting his stupid weights in no time."

"You think so?" Chopper sniffed.

"I know so," Sanji nodded. "Now come on, I'll make us dinner."

Chopper nodded, looking more relieved at Sanji's words, and led the way to the galley. Sanji followed, relieved he was able to put the young reindeer at ease.

He just wished he believed his own words.

* * *

A full day passed. And then another. And then another. With each passing day, Sanji's unease grew. Zoro still hadn't woken up. Chopper promised that Zoro's wounds were healing well; the swordsman wasn't suffering any infections and his blood transfusion had gone well. Zoro was well on his way to recovery...but he wouldn't wake up.

Chopper spent hours tending to the injured swordsman, to the point where Sanji feared for their doctor's health and volunteered to take turns in tending to Zoro so that Chopper could relax. Mostly Sanji just sat beside Zoro's bed, willing the swordsman to wake up, letting his mind wander down dark alleys that tended to leave Sanji feeling worse and worse.

The crew carried on as usual, or almost anyway. There was an almost visible cloud of worry and sadness hanging over each of their heads that made their act of "normalcy" seem just a little forced. To make it worse, their worry and concern didn't stop at their swordsman's condition but rather seemed to carry over to their cook as well. Sanji had told them exactly what had happened to Zoro on the beach, but he couldn't bring himself to confess _why _it had happened. He suspected some of them might know though; Nami and Usopp had seen his reactions to the bugs on Jaya, and neither of them were stupid enough not to put things together.

He began to notice it in little things as the days went on; Franky's pats on the back seemed to happen more frequently. Robin showed up in the galley for her usual morning coffee, but without her usual book. Instead she opted to converse more with Sanji. Chopper always reported good news about Zoro with a bright smile, reassuring the cook that Zoro would be just fine. Nami took to giving Sanji brief hugs, and pecks on the cheek; something that usually would have had Sanji swooning but instead only made a small smile appear on his features. Usopp offered a multitude of "labor saving" kitchen devices that he would have built in a day if Sanji wanted them. Each invention sounded more amazing than the last, but they did at least sound useful. Brook frequently played soothing but upbeat music, the kind designed to liven spirits.

As much as Sanji loved his nakama and appreciated their concern, it began to make him feel worse. After all, he was the reason for Zoro's condition in the first place. Had he been brave enough to overcome his fear and move, Zoro could have taken down the cricket instead of _being _taken down _by_ the cricket. He was the reason everyone on the crew was just slightly on edge in the first place, their attempts to cheer him up only served to increase his guilt.

The only person on the crew that didn't cater to Sanji was Luffy. After the battle when they others had learned about Zoro's injuries, Luffy cheerfully declared there was no need to worry about Zoro, that he'd pull through in no time, and carried on the way he always did. It was probably their captain's confidence that gave the others the ability to try and carry on normally. Luffy was usually right about things when they seemed hopeless, and their captain's confidence gave the others confidence.

Since Luffy wasn't worried about Zoro at all, he didn't bother trying to cheer Sanji up. It was refreshing, and despite the fact that Luffy's immature actions usually wore thin on Sanji, Sanji found himself spending the time he didn't spend in the sick bay with the swordsman with Luffy on deck instead. If Luffy found Sanji's sudden need to spend every free minute with his captain odd, he never said so. Instead he invited Sanji to join in on his games and demanded snacks more often than before.

* * *

It had been a week. A full seven days. Zoro still hadn't woken up, and Sanji began to wonder if Chopper was wrong. Maybe Zoro really had died, and the little reindeer had made a mistake. He certainly looked dead. Sanji sat in his usually chair by Zoro's bed, chewing on the end of a cigarette that he wasn't allowed to smoke in the infirmary. If Zoro were awake he surely would have called Sanji out on this habit, the way he had in the kitchen not long before he ended up in his current state.

But he didn't. He lay as immobile as ever. His usually tanned skin was just a shade paler than normal, though it was a vast improvement from the Zoro that Sanji had seen bleeding out on the beach. He _was_ breathing, deep and even; disturbingly so, as if every breath was driven by a mechanical impulse and nothing else. Zoro didn't even so much as twitch in his sleep.

Sanji watched with increasing distress. Despite all the times he'd wished for a more silent, less opinionated version of Zoro, he hated seeing Zoro like this. Zoro was supposed to be on deck, lifting weights, practicing sword movements, snoring under the mast...it didn't matter if the action annoyed Sanji or not. Sanji would give anything for the usual obnoxious Zoro to suddenly return to him.

"I'm sorry, Zoro," Sanji finally said. His voice was coarser than he intended, but he refused to break down and cry. Though the swordsman would never see it, he still couldn't bring himself to do something so weak in front of the bastard. "You should be up on deck, spending time with Luffy and comforting the others, not me. I should be laying where you are. That's where I belong for being such a coward."

Sanji squeezed his eyes shut. There was more he wanted to say, so much more, but he couldn't form the words anymore. Not that it mattered either way, he supposed. It wasn't as if the swordsman could hear him in his present condition. So Sanji let himself fall silent, lost in his own guilt ridden thoughts, hanging on the edge of self-loathing.

"Are you done whining, Idiot-cook?"

Sanji's eyes snapped open. It was his imagination, he was sure. He'd been wishing so desperately to hear Zoro's voice again that he was surely imagining it. But his eyes met a pair of familiar dark eyes, open and alert and clearly staring at him. Other than his eyes, the swordsman hadn't moved, at least not until Sanji's gaze met his, and then Zoro decided to take a moment to move his stiff body.

"How long have I been out?" He asked, bending the elbow of one arm slowly. The other was attached to an IV that Chopper had inserted to ensure that Zoro was being properly hydrated. Zoro observed the inserted needle curiously, probably wondering if he could take it out himself. Considering how much Chopper hated when they messed with anything involving their treatment without his permission, it probably wasn't a good idea. Zoro seemed to come to this conclusion as well, instead opting to loosen the joints in his opposite arm instead.

"A week," Sanji replied, eyes widened in disbelief. His voice came out in a barely audible squeak, caused by the departure of air from his lungs.

"Shit," Zoro cursed, rolling his neck. "That explains why I feel like I came out of the wrong end of a sea king," He worked a few more of his joints. "Help me sit up."

Sanji couldn't move, he felt like he'd been permanently glued to his chair. "I-I," He stuttered before clearing his throat, willing his voice to work right. "I don't think you're supposed to sit up. Chopper probably wouldn't want you to."

Zoro glanced sideways at Sanji. "Cook, I've been laying in this bed for a week, I don't think I can lay in it for another minute," He said, attempting to push himself up on his one free arm.

Sanji frowned but moved to help the swordsman, afraid if he didn't that Zoro would hurt himself again. Zoro's back popped a few times as he sat up, and Zoro groaned a bit at the stiffness. Sanji felt for him, it truly hurt to try and move joints that hadn't moved in so long.

Once the swordsman was upright against the wall, Sanji released him and took a step back, looking the swordsman over. Zoro prodded curiously at the bandages on his side and hissed when he caught himself square in the stitches. He continued to take inventory of his injuries and loosen up his stiff joints. Sanji watched in awe. Just a moment ago Sanji had wondered if Zoro was really alive. Now the swordsman sat before him, looking like the last week had never happened.

Sanji's legs gave out and he sat on the edge of Zoro's bed. Zoro stopped inspecting his own injuries and looked at the cook curiously.

"You're an idiot, you shitty swordsman," Sanji said. "How could anyone be so stupid?!" He leaned forward, his voice rising. "I realize you're a moss-brained marimo bastard, but how could you be so stupid?" One of Sanji's hands clutched at Zoro's bicep, the other wrapped around his shoulder. Sanji pulled the swordsman closer, careful to avoid his wounds, and buried his face into Zoro's shoulder. "I hate you, you shitty marimo," He mumbled, failing to keep the slight tremor out of his voice.

Zoro chuckled, pulling the cook closer and holding him with his free arm, while the arm with the IV in it massaged comforting circles into the cook's lower back. "I was worried about you too, Shit-cook."

"I'm sorry," Sanji mumbled into the shoulder. "This is my fault, I'm sorry."

Zoro frowned, pulling the cook back just enough to meet his eyes. Sanji wouldn't look at him though; instead Zoro was greeted with a curtain of hair. "Oi, Cook," He said sternly. Sanji seemed to hear the request in Zoro's voice and met his eyes hesitantly. He looked bad, Zoro thought. Naturally the idiot had probably been drowning himself in guilt for the last week, too proud to admit it to anyone or to seek help. The cook was notorious for acting independently, shouldering his own problems, refusing to burden anyone else with them. Zoro could tell from the lines under Sanji's eyes and the faint bruise colored circles that he hadn't been sleeping, that he'd spent the last week torturing himself.

"Whose fault is it?" Zoro asked. "I'm the idiot who got distracted. I know better than to take my eye off the enemy."

Sanji frowned. "But if I hadn't-"

Zoro cut him off. "Damn, I was really hoping to one up you, and look what happened; I end up looking like an idiot instead."

Sanji looked skeptically at the swordsman, a look that clearly suggested he wasn't fooled by the act. He got the message though. Zoro wasn't blaming him, and was telling Sanji not to blame himself either. It was, of course, easier said than done, especially when Sanji could see how much he'd almost lost. Zoro's antagonizing and confident smirk that usually set a fight between the two into motion had never looked more appealing to Sanji. A week without the marimo had been painful; Sanji couldn't even imagine _life_ without the smirking bastard.

"I hate you, Shitty Marimo," Sanji repeated, but this time he returned Zoro's smirk with his own.

"Is that so?" Zoro asked, his voice low. "Because you seem pretty comfortable here to me."

'Here' of course being in Zoro's arms. Sanji hadn't bothered to pull away, too distracted by his emotions to think of it. Instead of pulling away though, he moved slightly closer. He'd spent the last week coming to terms with his feelings. There was no point in denying them anymore, and he didn't want to. He could have lost Zoro while he was wasting time trying to deny how he felt for the shitty bastard.

"Maybe I am," Sanji replied with a playful smirk.

Zoro was stunned. He'd expected the cook to pull away once he'd pointed out their position, but instead he'd moved closer. The usually confident swordsman suddenly felt very unsure of himself as he watched Sanji's eyes drift down to his lips. Was this pity? Was the shit-cook pitying him and acting the way the thought Zoro wanted?

'No' was the answer Zoro came up with when Sanji's eyes raised to meet his own again. No, there was no pity in the blue orbs, only barely concealed want and a playful sparkle of mischief. It was the way he'd always wanted Sanji to look at him, and he didn't miss it when Sanji's tongue darted out to wet his own lips. Zoro watched the pink tongue closely, fully intending to follow it with his lips.

"Oh! Zoro! You're awake!" Chopper happily squeaked out.

Sanji jumped like a cat that had water dumped on it and pushed himself roughly away from Zoro. Zoro cursed at the sudden jolt that seemed to spear straight into his sides and winced. Sanji sent him a brief apologetic look before standing.

"What were you guys doing?" Chopper asked, shooting a suspicious glare between the two.

What were the doing? Zoro wondered that too. Had he imagined the look in the cook's eyes? Had the whole event been a dream? Sanji stood cooly beside Zoro's bed, no hint of emotion betrayed by his body language. Zoro almost convinced himself he'd imagined the whole thing, until he caught the blush staining the cook's cheeks.

"I was just helping the bastard to sit up," Sanji replied to the little doctor. His voice was steady and calm, with just a hint of the loathing it usually had when he was talking about Zoro, but he was still blushing, and the look he sent Zoro was anything but hateful. Rather, it made Zoro further curse Chopper's unfortunate timing.

"Zoro!" Chopper frowned. "You shouldn't be sitting up yet!" He reprimanded, making Zoro feeling guilty with just a look. Chopper had that ability and no one could resist.

"I told him," Sanji smirked. "But he refused to listen," The cook pulled a cigarette out of his pack and slid it between his lips. "I'll go get started on lunch, and make something simple for the newly awoken moss," Sanji said moving for the door.

"Something he doesn't have to chew much would be best, Sanji," The little doctor suggested as Sanji passed.

"Will do," Sanji replied, pulling the door open.

Zoro was usually very fond of Chopper. It was probably his innocence that appealed so much to the swordsman, who'd spent enough time around deceitful, wicked characters in his life. However he couldn't help but feel a streak of bitterness towards the ill-timed little reindeer when he saw the look Sanji gave him just before he closed the door behind him.

It was a look that told Zoro he would have had everything he'd wanted if Chopper hadn't picked that moment to return.

* * *

**A/N:**

Zoro was never dead, guys, don't worry. He also recovered (at least from critical condition) pretty quickly. He just needed to take a nice, long, healing nap. The lazy marimo loves his sleep!

Oh my gosh, Sanji contain your angst. I listened to "Hurt" by Johnny Cash on repeat while writing most of this. (I know the original is by NIN but I've always preferred the Cash cover.) It's a very sad song. So I _know_ it's probably OOC. I'm sorry. I suppose that's my failure as a writer, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway!

Thank you all so much for the reviews! I had been trying to get back to you all individually, but I completely stopped doing that last chapter. I got lazy I guess. However, just because I don't respond does not mean I don't cherish every single one of them. They make me very happy! I love the all the feedback I get, even if you want to point out what you _don't _like, I love that. So by all means keep them coming, it makes your author very happy.

Also, I've been a very mean author haven't I? First a cliffhanger and now this. How rude of me. And I'm very, very, very sorry I haven't been getting out chapters faster than this. I truly wish I could. Honestly though, for various reasons I've been trying to pace myself on how much I write in a week. I hope you can trust me when I say this is for the best, and I hope you can all be happy with weekly updates.

Please excuse my minor grammar and spelling errors and typos. If you see anything major though please bring it to my attention, I'll probably want to fix it.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed~!


	12. Chapter 12

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love **

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**11. Zoro is emotionless and boring.  
**Zoro has the emotional range of a rock. He keeps himself so in control of his emotions Sanji can never tell what he's thinking, if he's thinking anything at all.

* * *

Chopper forced Zoro to stay in the sick bay for another week, despite the fact that the swordsman had seemed right as rain ever since he woke up. Chopper had said something about overexertion being bad for the healing process. Zoro tried to refuse the little reindeer's demand, but Chopper was a force to be reckoned with when he gave out a medical order, so Zoro had no choice but to obey.

So Zoro stayed in the sick bay, much to Sanji's annoyance. Sanji did bring the marimo meals three times a day, sitting with him while he ate. Of course that was all he could do, under Chopper's watchful eye. For some reason, now that Zoro was awake, the little doctor didn't trust the two of them to sit in the same room together without doing something that could compromise Zoro's health. Of course he was probably right to be suspicious, but Sanji didn't think Chopper was imagining the same things he was.

But as much as their doctor's watchful behavior annoyed Sanji, it also gave him a sense of relief. In all of his life, Sanji had never felt himself attracted to a man. Women, with their supple figures, graceful curves, and delicate features had always been Sanji's preference. Zoro had none of these features. He was the very opposite of what Sanji usually considered attractive.

It wasn't that Sanji didn't find Zoro attractive, just the opposite. What Zoro lacked in soft curves and graceful features he more than made up for with rigid, defined muscles and raw power that could make anyone weak in the knees. No, Sanji was definitely attracted to Zoro, and that was the problem. Zoro was new and completely foreign to Sanji. Sanji had spent plenty of time wooing women; he had plenty of experience when it came to the opposite sex. When it came to the same sex though, he felt entirely out of his league.

Especially when the other person was Zoro. The first day Zoro had woken up, they'd had a moment. It had been (at least on Sanji's part) very emotionally fueled, and seemed to shake the very foundation of their relationship, altering it into something entirely knew. Or so Sanji had thought. Though judging by the bastard's current attitude, Sanji almost wondered if he hadn't dreamed the whole thing.

"Oi, Shit-cook," Zoro frowned into the bowl Sanji had presented to him. "What the hell is this?"

Sanji glared down at the ungrateful marimo. "It's your dinner, Marimo, now eat it and be happy I go out of my way to feed your bed-ridden ass."

"There's nothing to it," Zoro said bitterly, swirling the liquid around the bowl before spooning some up and letting it fall back to the bowl.

"There's plenty to it!" Sanji growled, offended by the slight against his meal.

"Sanji's right, Zoro," Chopper added. "It's filled with the proper vitamins and nutrients you need while still being easily digestible. I worry that your system isn't quite up to digesting large amounts of solid food yet."

Sanji smiled warmly at Chopper. "Exactly, I wouldn't want to upset a fragile marimo's stomach," He said mockingly, turning back to Zoro.

Zoro took a skeptical sip of soup. "It tastes like garbage too," He winced.

Sanji's face reddened as his temper reached boiling. "Then don't eat it! See if I care, shitty-marimo bastard!" Sanji roared, making for the door. There was absolutely no chance of him being able to spend another minute with the shitty swordsman without killing him.

He slammed the door behind him (earning a squeak of protest from Chopper) and leaned heavily against it. This was the problem. Despite that brief moment when Sanji had almost completely given into Zoro, the bastard still acted like nothing had happened. It was unnerving for Sanji; he wasn't used to opening up to people quite like he felt himself doing with Zoro. All the pretty women he'd ever wooed to bed or spent sweet evenings with had been little more than flings. Sanji loved spending time with these women, but it went no deeper than that. Sanji still kept them at a distance from his emotions and his dreams.

With Zoro it was different. Zoro was nakama, so he knew Sanji better than those faceless women ever had. He knew Sanji's dream. He'd never laughed at it or told Sanji it was impossible. Zoro had fought so Sanji could live his dream. Zoro wasn't another faceless sweetheart that Sanji would woo to bed; he was Sanji's friend, rival, _family_.

Zoro wasn't someone Sanji could keep distant from his emotions either. Mostly because he would probably fail if he even tried. Zoro seemed to be able to read people loud and clear, even if they were impossibly good actors. Odd for a moss-brained creature with the emotional range of a rock, but sometimes life is like that, Sanji mused. With Zoro, Sanji was an open book. He couldn't safely lock his emotions away from the swordsman the way he had been so accustomed to doing with his past lovers.

Even if he could, he wouldn't want to. Because Zoro wasn't another one of his one night flings. Zoro was something Sanji wanted much longer than that. Zoro had been a major part of Sanji's life even before he went and fell in love with the marimo head. Sanji was going to be with Zoro while they accomplished their dreams; that had always been the plan. Of course that plan applied to the rest of the crew as well, and it wasn't until recently that Sanji had taken on more personal feelings in the matter. Now that he had, Sanji was even more sure he couldn't let go of the swordsman.

This is what made this whole situation stressful. Sanji was sure of his feelings, he couldn't deny them anymore, but these feelings made him vulnerable. He wasn't used to being so vulnerable. He could count on one hand the number of people that he'd let into his life emotionally. One was a shitty peg-legged old man who'd nearly given up his life to save Sanji's and taught him everything he knew now. The other was a hyperactive, rubbery, captain who'd taken Sanji on a journey to live his dream. Now the third was Zoro, who'd stood for his dream, supported him, believed in him...loved him?

He'd been the one to confess, after all. He'd planted the idea in Sanji's head, had asked Sanji took see him differently. Sanji knew the swordsman well enough to know he hadn't been lying that day he'd kissed Sanji in the galley; Zoro didn't do things like that. But even so, the damn marimo had been so damn _normal_ since he'd woken Sanji was beginning to wonder if maybe Zoro really had hurt his head in the fall. Sanji had finally given in to his feelings and Zoro could care less about him anymore.

Sanji shook the whirling thoughts from his head. He needed to make lunch for the others and there wasn't anything he could do about the present situation anyway. Besides, it was hard to act on their feelings with Chopper not five steps behind them, so perhaps when Zoro was finally released from his medical imprisonment things would actually change. Sanji felt satisfied with that thought and headed to the galley.

* * *

The next day, shortly after his breakfast, Chopper gave Zoro one last medical checkup before giving him the okay to leave the sick bay and join the rest of the crew on deck.

"But keep your weight lifting to a minimum for a little while longer," Chopper called out to the back of the fleeing swordsman. "I mean it Zoro or I'll make you stay in here again!"

Zoro visibly flinched at the threat. He'd been held captive for so long in the small infirmary that he thought he would go insane. Any more time in there and he might actually hurt Chopper in his attempt to get free.

On deck, Sanji was serving a late morning beverage to the ladies and a before lunch snack to Luffy and Usopp. Both boys had fishing poles and were chattering excitedly about what kinds of fish they'd like to have for dinner. Zoro's emergence from the sick bay seemed to go unnoticed until the cook glanced up from his conversation with Nami.

"You're out," He stated, looking surprised.

This of course prompted the others to notice him as well. "Zoro," Nami eyed him suspiciously. "Are you allowed to be up?"

Zoro scowled. "Yes," He replied, irritated by her assumption. Of course she was right to be suspicious, sneaking out was something he'd strongly considered at one point, but that was beside the point. "Chopper gave me permission."

Nami watched him carefully, her clever eyes trying to detect the hint of a lie. She found nothing though and instead sent him a smile. "Well then we're glad to see you," She said.

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted, launching himself at the swordsman. "Does that mean you can play games with us now?"

"Captain-san, I'm fairly certain you shouldn't be so rough with Kenshi-san," Robin said wisely, ignoring the look of annoyance Zoro was giving her. "I'm sure Doctor-san would not appreciate having to re-stitch his wounds."

"Why bother?" Usopp asked. "Zoro's just going to start training and tear his stitches again himself."

"Unfortunately that's probably true," Robin sighed before returning to the book she'd been reading.

Sanji remained quiet through the exchange, watching the swordsman try to wave off the two younger boys and argue with Nami, growing steadily more annoyed as the minutes ticked on. Zoro hadn't even so much as looked at him since he'd first emerged from the sick bay. Sanji had taken to eyeing the door to Chopper's medical room several times a day, hoping today would be the day Zoro would be allowed to leave. Well he saw the swordsman making his way towards them he almost thought he was imagining it, but the heavy footsteps of Zoro's boots assured him he wasn't.

Sanji had sincerely hoped Zoro's freedom would resolve all the questions Sanji had regarding their current relationship, and set him at ease about the swordsman's feelings. He wasn't necessarily expecting the marimo to immediately whisk him up to the crow's nest for some personal time or anything of that nature, but Zoro's lack of attention of any kind was definitely not what Sanji wanted either.

It didn't seem like Zoro was actively avoiding him, more like he really hadn't considered the cook's presence worth his notice. Exactly like Sanji would expect the Zoro he'd thought had hated him to act. Which was not the way Sanji had wanted or expected him to act at all, and quite frankly it was pissing him off.

With a loud clatter he dropped the tray of snacks and drinks onto the small table beside Nami. The drinks sloshed sloppily over the sides of their glasses and poor Nami and Usopp jumped at the sudden noise. Sanji would have felt bad for his sweet Nami, had his rage not hit a boiling point already.

"I have to get started on lunch," He announced. "Help yourselves," And with that he made his way to the galley.

"Oi, Sanji!" Usopp called after him. "You spilled the drinks into the food!" However if Sanji heard him he ignored him and slammed the door to the galley. "Hey Luffy! Don't eat that!" Usopp shouted, watching Luffy shove the now soggy food into his mouth. "It's wet!"

"Who cares?" Luffy shrugged, his mouth stuffed with food. "It's still good!"

Usopp eyed the food skeptically before picking up a bit and trying it himself. He nearly gagged and only the idea of Sanji finding out he'd wasted food kept him from spitting it back out. "It's disgusting," He groaned wearily.

"More for me then!" Luffy laughed, quickly gobbling up Usopp's portion as well.

Zoro's eyes had followed the cook back to the galley. "What's the cook's problem?" He asked.

"Hm, I wonder," Robin said thoughtfully, looking towards the galley. "He seemed perfectly fine a moment ago."

"Until Zoro came out. What did you do this time Zoro?" Nami asked him while carefully picking up a now messy drink.

"I didn't do anything," Zoro frowned. "I've been locked up in solitary, if you hadn't noticed."

Nami shrugged but didn't answer; instead she began to clean off her drink. Robin gave the swordsman a considering look before shrugging and turning back to her book. Zoro frowned, annoyed with their lack of answers. He looked at the galley once more before deciding it was probably safer to leave the cook be for the time being. Sanji tended to get temperamental when he wanted to be left alone.

* * *

Sanji's anger hardly dissipated in his galley. A dangerous problem because he was now in his kitchen, and his tools were acceptable weapons in the kitchen. He hoped for their sake, the crew knew better than to enter, but just to be safe he flipped the latch on the lock of the door. He'd hoped the familiar sanctity of his kitchen would give him the peace of mind he needed to calm down and think rationally, and perhaps it would have, had it not been for the shitty window.

The shitty window that was shittily placed to look right out onto the shitty deck where the shitty swordsman liked to practice. Which he was doing now. Sanji didn't know why he expected Zoro wouldn't immediately race to his swords and begin practicing with them. It was a daily thing that the swordsman had been deprived of for two weeks now. Of course Zoro would want to get reacquainted with them and continue improving himself. Sanji bitterly wished he had the flour to bake bread; he'd certainly like to beat the dough into submission and pretend it was Zoro's head or something.

Instead he stomped over and nearly ripped the curtains off with the force of his pull as he tugged them shut. With the window now covered the light entering the galley was filtered and dim. He couldn't turn the power lights on until dark; Franky was worried they may run out of cola before the next island, but Sanji could navigate his kitchen in the dark and felt the trade off of not having to see the swordsman was fair enough he'd do just that.

When Zoro had emerged from the sick bay Sanji had been elated, relieved, and happy. He'd spent the last week in complete uncertainty and he needed answers, but he'd been waiting patiently for the swordsman to be let out. Certainly then he'd show Sanji a shred of the emotion Sanji'd been expecting from him. Except he hadn't. Instead he'd ignored the cook's existence and carried on as usual.

Sanji snorted. It wasn't like him to feel so insecure. He was a pirate, a man who sailed the seas of the Grand Line, chef to the future Pirate King. He wasn't someone who would get worked up over something as stupid as the swordsman. If Zoro wasn't interested anymore, that was that and Sanji would move on. There were plenty of fish in the sea, after all, and Sanji was certain a beautiful woman could easily wipe the marimo from his mind.

His heart he wasn't so certain about, but Sanji was quite used to burying his feelings and could do so again. He could do that easily, especially if all he had to do was continue his previous relationship with Zoro, it was easy enough to want to kick the bastards head in every time he saw him. That decided, he pulled out the ingredients for lunch and began preparing their meal.

* * *

"Why's it so dark in here, Bro?" Franky asked, flipping his shades up off his eyes as he entered the galley for lunch. His eyes flicked over to the covered window before looking back at Sanji.

"Sorry about that," Sanji smiled, moving to the window and sliding the curtains back. He was just in time to see Zoro finish his final stance before sheathing his katana and heading for the galley where Sanji had just called for lunch. "The light was bothering my eyes," He explained to a still confused Franky.

"Are you sick, Sanji?" Chopper asked with concern.

"No, nothing like that, Chopper," Sanji assured the little doctor with a smile. "I was just testing out a new cooking method. Your senses are supposed to be enhanced by the dim lighting and it gives you a new perspective of taste," He quickly lied.

"So which was it? Was it bothering your eyes or were you trying out a new cooking method?" Usopp asked, digging into his plate.

Sanji wanted to hit the long-nosed bastard for pointing out his obvious contradiction. "If you want seconds you'd better shut it, shitty long-nose," Sanji growled out, low enough for only Usopp to hear.

"Yes, sir!" Usopp squeaked out, breaking out in a nervous sweat.

Sanji sent him one last glare before moving to tend to the ladies. At some point during his exchange with the others, Zoro had entered, but Sanji pointedly ignored the swordsman and hid his anger away by showering special praises down on the beautiful ladies. If Zoro noticed or cared, Sanji didn't know, but he wasn't going to bother finding out either.

* * *

Sanji did well during lunch, and was actually starting to feel quite pleased with himself. He'd been careful not to lash out at the swordsman especially, while maintaining his usual disdain for the other man. Meal time was really the only time Sanji usually spent too much time with Zoro, and if he could handle meal time he was well on his way to moving on and forgetting the swordsman.

As they finished their lunches, the other Straw Hats drifted off, heading for whatever chore or pastime awaited them. Sanji grew steadily more nervous as one by one his nakama left the galley and still Zoro remained. He couldn't promise he wouldn't lose it if he was alone with the other man.

To busy himself, Sanji collected the dishes and silverware from the crew that had left and set about preparing to wash them. Only Zoro and Luffy were left at the table now, and Sanji prayed Luffy's never ending appetite won out over Zoro's.

His hopes were crushed though when Luffy pushed away from the table and rubbed his full stomach. "I love your food, Sanji," He sighed dreamily. "I can't wait until snack time," And with that he left Sanji alone in the galley with the swordsman.

Sanji took a deep, calming drag of his cigarette. He could handle this. He just had to busy himself with the dishes until Zoro left, he could do that. He heard the scrape of the swordsman's chair and approaching footsteps. He scrubbed harder at the cup he was cleaning. It had long since been washed, but Sanji was hardly aware of it any more. All of his senses seemed to be focused on the approaching swordsman. _He's just bringing his dishes to the sink,_ Sanji assured himself, _and then he'll go away._

"What's wrong with you, Cook?" A hand barely brushed against his shoulder, but this coupled with Zoro's low voice caused Sanji to jump. He'd been so focused on the swordsman, expecting the other man to drop his dished in the sink and move on, that the unexpected touch actually caught him off guard.

The cup he'd been scrubbing at for the last minute was tossed into the air, turning over and over before crashing into the ground and shattering.

"Shit, shit," Sanji muttered, bending to pick up the shards.

Before he could reach them though, a second hand shot out and grabbed his. Sanji knew he was losing it when he became captivated by the sight of his hand in Zoro's. The contrast of their skin tone and the shape of their hands, Zoro's large and blunt from weightlifting and sword work and Sanji's more tapered and delicate for the finer movements of cooking, was beautiful and fascinating to Sanji.

"Get a broom, Cook," Zoro spoke, breaking into Sanji's observation. "You'll cut yourself."

Remembering where he was and the situation he was in, Sanji ripped his hand away from Zoro's. "I know that, you shitty-marimo," He growled, standing and stomping over to the cupboard where he kept the broom and dustpan.

Zoro watched, taking note of the rigid line of Sanji's back and the tenseness in his shoulders. Definitely not a normal reaction from the cook. Zoro's brow creased in confusion. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Sanji snapped shortly, sweeping at the glass on the floor. His swipes were hardly controlled though, and all he was truly accomplishing was to send the glass scattering in different directions. "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you go lift weights?"

Zoro frowned. "I can't really lift until my stitches come out," He replied, though the cook wasn't really listening. Instead he was brushing haphazardly at the glass in short, angry strokes that hardly looked effective. In fact the cook himself just looked distressed, his mind elsewhere and not at all concerned with the mess of glass before him. That was Sanji's excuse though, to not have to talk to Zoro, and Zoro could see right through that.

Tugging the broom from the cook's hands earned him a glare, but at least Sanji was looking at him now. "What the hell is the matter with you?" Zoro asked again.

"With me?" Sanji ground his teeth. "What the hell is the matter with you?! I'm trying to clean here!"

Zoro didn't look impressed with his answer. Instead of handing him the broom so Sanji could carry on cleaning and pretending Zoro wasn't doing this right now, Zoro dropped the broom somewhere behind him and gave the cook one harsh shove.

Sanji cried out when he stumbled backwards, the edge of his countertop digging sharply into his lower back. Before he could retaliate and lash out at the swordsman, Zoro closed in, effectively trapping Sanji's legs with his own and pinning him back against the countertop.

"Now," Zoro continued, seemingly satisfied with their current position. "Do you want to explain to me why you've been treating me like I'm lower than the dirt on your shoes ever since I woke up?"

Sanji gaped. It was as if Zoro had just stolen the words right out of his mouth. Only those were the words Sanji wasn't ever going to say. Instead he was going to bury them away and forget about them. Or he was until Zoro said them. "Me?" Sanji asked indignantly. "What about you? You've hardly looked at me!"

Zoro blinked in surprise at the cook's outburst. "What are you talking about?" He asked, confusion written plainly on his features.

Sanji glared at him, wishing he could free his legs from Zoro's grip and kick the bastard across the face, but struggling proved futile. "Remember when you woke up? There was this moment when I almost kissed you, you shitty bastard," He hissed venomously in Zoro's face. "But I'm glad I didn't. That would have been a huge mistake. Because ever since then you've been ignoring me and treating me like second hand trash you can't be bothered wi-"

But Sanji never really got to finish his sentence. He was rudely interrupted by the press of Zoro's lips against his.

Hurt, and outrage ran rampant through Sanji's system and he shoved at the swordsman's chest, trying to force the other man away from him. Zoro was having none of it though. With one hand he managed to snag both of Sanji's wrists, preventing them from shoving against his chest. The other hand tangled into the hair at the back of Sanji's head and held it in place while his lips continued their assault.

Sanji tried but failed to struggle out of Zoro's hold, but his efforts were wasted, and eventually the desire he'd been holding back and denying came rushing in. Sanji felt himself kissing back, his body betraying his intentions as he tilted his head ever so slightly and allowed Zoro to deepen the kiss.

Sanji gave up the fight entirely when Zoro's tongue met his. For a moment he forgot entirely what he'd been so worked up over in the first place. Sensing the resistance leaving Sanji's body, Zoro freed Sanji's wrists from his hold. Now instead of pushing Zoro away, they pulled him closer; one gripping at his shoulder and the other around the back of his neck, playing lightly in his green hair. Zoro groaned happily against Sanji's lips, savoring the spiced taste left from Sanji's last cigarette. Zoro's free arm looped around Sanji's waist, pulling the cook impossibly closer and earning a happy sigh against his lips.

Sanji lost himself in the kiss until the need for proper oxygen won out over his desire to never stop kissing Zoro. He pulled away, gasping against Zoro's lips while Zoro did much the same.

"You," Zoro panted against his lips, causing a shiver to run down Sanji's spine. "Are an idiot."

Sanji almost wanted to laugh, because it was so very _Zoro_ for the bastard to insult him after kissing him completely senseless. But the insult also rang a bell in the more logical parts of Sanji's brain. "Why am I an idiot?" He asked, frowning.

"Because I already told you I loved you," Zoro said, his eyes falling closed as he nuzzled the hair by Sanji's ear.

The swordsman's breath against his ear was doing horrific things to Sanji's vision, but he tried to stay focused. "You've hardly acted like it lately," Sanji swallowed.

Zoro pulled away to look into Sanji's eyes. The cook looked back at him and Zoro could see traces of the hurt Sanji was trying to hide away. Zoro could see his own emotions reflected back at him, the uncertainty, and the fear that maybe he'd been imagining their previous exchange. It wasn't until the cook had spelled out their almost-kiss that Zoro realized he hadn't been dreaming, it had really happened.

Zoro chuckled and knocked his forehead against Sanji's. "Idiot," He mumbled. "What did you expect me to do in front of the rest of the crew? I didn't think you wanted to out us so quickly…"

"I don't!" Sanji cried out suddenly. "I mean, at least…" He frowned. "Not yet," He paused a moment before continuing. "But I still thought, maybe you'd try and catch me alone or…" Sanji trailed off leaving Zoro to figure out the rest.

"I thought I was finally going crazy," Zoro muttered before pressing a gentle kiss against Sanji's forehead. The kiss was so tender Sanji couldn't help the blush the crept onto his face. "I thought that I'd thought about you so much I was living out a fantasy, and then after…" He frowned. "You were so normal I thought I really had imagined it."

The sudden urge to laugh bubbled up in Sanji's chest. All the worries and insecurities he'd been feeling, Zoro had been feeling too, and if they'd just _spoken_ they could have easily figured that out. "I don't think I'm the idiot here," He chuckled.

"You definitely are, Shitty-cook," Zoro smiled. "But maybe I am too."

Sanji beamed like he'd won a prize. "Admitting it is the first step, Marimo," He said playfully. "Maybe there's hope for you yet."

Zoro leaned in, fully intending on silencing Sanji with a kiss when the galley door burst open. Both men jumped at the sudden intrusion but they didn't have time to scramble apart and were clearly caught by the intruder.

Luffy stared blankly at the frozen pair for a moment before a broad smile spread over his face. "It's okay Chopper!" He shouted, leaving the galley and pulling the door closed again. "They aren't fighting! They're doing the dishes!"

Zoro and Sanji remained frozen until the door fully snapped shut behind him. "I think we just got busted by the captain," Sanji sighed.

"I think he gave us his consent," Zoro smiled.

Sanji returned the smile and shifted to resume kissing Zoro, but the crunch of glass under his feet caught his attention. With a regretful sigh he looked down at the mess in his kitchen. "I should probably clean this," He said.

Zoro noted the cook's wistful tone and couldn't resist the broad grin that broke his face. "Clean up," Zoro shrugged, kissing the cook's forehead once more. "I'll start the dishes."

Sanji nodded and grabbed the broom, carefully sweeping the glass away from the sink so Zoro could wash the dishes without having to move. As he swept Sanji occasionally glanced at the swordsman. He did feel like an idiot, but at least he wasn't the only one.

* * *

**A/N:**

Thank you my wonderful reviewers! I got so many amazing reviews the last chapter, they had me all smiles. You guys are the most amazing readers and thank you so much for all the kind words and support. I'm always happy to hear your thoughts, opinions, and critiques. Thank you all!

Phew! If only you guys knew how close I came to not putting this chapter out today. Writer's block was_ killing_ me and I almost threw in the towel and decided you could wait. But I forced myself through it. That being said, I'm sorry if the beginning (Or any of it really) feels chunky or doesn't flow right. I powered through the writer's block by sheer force of will, but that tends to lead to messy writing. I edited it and I think it sounds better now than it did, but I'm sorry if it still didn't sound right.

Aww look at all the fluff. That could be a really cute ending right there. Hold on though, we've still got four more reasons to go!

That being said, I'm up in the air about next week's chapter. I may need to take the week off to let my wrist recover. Truthfully, I have pretty bad carpal tunnel. I was hoping to stubbornly power through it, but I'm not really doing myself any favors that way. As for now, plan on a new chapter next week, but if it doesn't come please, please forgive me. It will be out the week after without fail, _**I promise**_.

I hope you enjoyed! Until next time~!


	13. Chapter 13

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love **

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**12. Zoro was hardly a romantic.**_**  
**_Zoro was hardly the type of guy that could sweep someone off their feet. Unless you considered a grueling workout followed by a nap in the grass to be a romantic date.

* * *

The island was very...unique, even for an island in the Grand Line. Actually, it was just plain bizarre, even by the Straw Hat's standards. When Zoro had spotted the island in the distance Sanji had been quite relieved. He could use a heavy resupply trip; the food he'd scavenged from the cricket island was beginning to run low, and Sanji was itching to get his hands on some of the more basic ingredients that he'd long ago run out of. Things like flour and rice had limitless potential as ingredients, and Sanji had been dying to get his hands on some more.

As they drew closer to the island though, Sanji's jaw dropped. His wasn't the only one; the entire crew had identical looks of shock and disbelief. It was the pink glow that caught their attention first. The island wasn't _actually_ glowing, but the color was so vibrant that it almost appeared to be. As they drew closer, it was the overwhelming scent of fresh flowers that appalled them next. The fragrance was so strong that Chopper fainted, his sensitive nose getting the best of him. Franky did him a favor by shoving wads of tissues into his nose and carrying him below deck where the air was still a little clearer to recover.

Even Sanji, who usually enjoyed the smell of flowers (it reminded him of the perfume women wore and usually set his heart beating with desire) was slightly sickened by the overly sweet scent. They all took to covering their noses and trying to breathe through their mouths, although by doing that they seemed to be able to taste the fragrance instead and it left bad taste in their mouths.

"This is worse than the time Luffy dumped a bottle of Nami's perfume!" Usopp coughed out in a nasally voice.

"Luffy did _what_?" Nami hissed out, rounding on Usopp.

"This is terrible," Robin replied, following her comment with a delicate sneeze. Her eyes were slightly watery and despite the terrible smell she sniffed a few times. "I believe we've come across a romance island."

"Romance island?" Luffy frowned. "Sounds boring."

"What the hell's a romance island?" Zoro asked, a heavy scowl on his face as if whatever a romance island was it was personally offensive to him.

Robin accepted a tissue from Franky before she explained. "I've only read about it in books, but supposedly a romance island like this is supposed to be a destination for young lovers looking to solidify their love," This explanation was met with a collective blank stare from the younger men of the crew and Robin couldn't help but laugh as she simplified it for them. "It's a wonderful destination for a date."

Luffy scrunched up his nose in distaste and turned to their navigator, who was still preoccupied with punishing Usopp. "Nami!" Luffy cried. "This place is boring and it smells bad, do we really have to stop here?"

Nami let Usopp go and consulted the log pose on her wrist. The needle pointed steadfastly at the island before them and she sighed. "There's no going around it," She said regretfully. "This is where the log pose points. We'll just have to stick it out here for a while."

Luffy whined pitifully, but no one paid him any attention as they prepared to drop anchor and make for land.

Nami made ready to draw straws to decide who would stay behind to guard the ship, but was saved the hassle when Robin volunteered to stay behind. Apparently the lovely Robin-chwan was allergic to flowers and wanted to avoid leaving the confines of the ship. At least on the Sunny, anchored a little ways from the island, there was a delicate sea breeze to help dissipate the fragrance and the pollen. Franky volunteered to stay behind as well, to watch over Robin and Chopper. According to him, this island was "very not super".

The rest made ready to disembark. Despite all his whining, Luffy would never miss the opportunity to explore new territory. He and Usopp began chattering excitedly about what sort of oddities they might find on such a stupid island. Nami quickly broke up their little meeting with a tug on ear of their ears. Luffy's, being made of rubber, simply stretched, while poor Usopp let out a shriek of pain.

"You two idiots aren't going anywhere until you've replaced the bottle of perfume you spilled," She ground out dangerously.

"It was Luffy's fault!" Ussop cried, holding his swelling ear. "Why am I the one being punished!"

"Because you witnessed it," Nami frowned, her hands on her hips. "Meaning you were _both_ in the girls' bunkroom. I charge for that kind of thing you know!"

Sanji spared Usopp a brief sympathetic glance as he, Zoro, and Brook passed. Usopp pleaded to him with his eyes but Sanji knew better than to cross Nami-swan. Instead he left the poor sharpshooter on his own and left with the other two.

* * *

Zoro sneered at their surroundings when they reached land and made for the town. The pink appearance that the islands had was caused by a combination of white and red roses. Thousands of them covered every square inch of land. In the town they covered everything, the tops of buildings poking out bravely from between the brambles.

"What the hell is with all the roses?" Zoro scoffed.

Sanji stepped on his toe as one of the passing townspeople turned to inspect their group. Sanji had his doubts about taking Brook along for the trip, people rarely took the sight of a walking skeleton well, but it was hardly fair to force him to stay behind. The man who had stopped didn't seem to care about Brook's appearance though as he flashed them a warm smile.

"Are you folks new to town?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah," Sanji nodded. "We're travelers, stopping to resupply."

The man's smile never faded as he nodded in understanding. He turned to Zoro before speaking again. "The roses are a symbol of love eternal," The man explained. "The red ones symbolize true love and the white ones symbolize purity and innocence. Our island has the ideal conditions for them to grow and they bloom all year long. Most young couples come here to celebrate their love for one another," Here he paused and eyed Zoro closely. "Are you in love young man?"

Zoro sputtered and a blushed furiously. Sanji couldn't help but laugh at the marimo's reaction. Zoro shot him a glare and stuck his chin out defiantly before answering.

"I am."

Sanji's laughter abruptly stopped and it was his turn to blush. Zoro sent him a sarcastic smirk that Sanji was sorely tempted to kick off his face, but the man was speaking again.

"Ah then you came to the right place! Our island blesses new love you know! How are you planning to celebrate your love? Perhaps a romantic meal? Or a starlit stroll? Maybe even..." The man trailed off, leaning closer to Zoro and lowering his voice. "A proposal?" He winked suggestively.

Zoro scowled. "Why would I do any of that crap?"

The man looked shocked. "Because it's important my boy!" He gestured wildly around him. "It's why our island exists! Two people can't possibly be happy together without romance!"

Zoro looked down at the shorter man with something akin to disgust written on his face. "That's bullshit. This romantic stuff is just stupid," He huffed, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't know, Marimo," Sanji said. "Some people might like being treated to a romantic evening out."

Zoro shot him a look. "Well that's too bad for them, because I don't do things like that."

The two glared at each other for a long time before the man cleared his throat and they were forced to turn their attention to him. "Well I hope you'll reconsider, my boy. Romance is very important. How else would you show your love?" And with that he turned and left, leaving the three pirates standing in the street.

"Well that was certainly enlightening," Brook said. "I suppose it's not such a bad town. Perhaps I could lend them my talents, I happen to know a few romance pieces."

"We're not here to serenade lovers, Brook," Sanji grumbled, moving past the musician. "We're here to buy food." He brushed past the marimo as well without so much as a passing glance and moved up the street to find a market place.

* * *

Once he'd adjusted to the overwhelming smell of the roses, Sanji actually found the town to be quite charming. It wasn't much different from any other town they'd visited, except that everything seemed to the geared towards romance. The produce shop Sanji had stopped in insisted Sanji needed specially grown heart shaped fruits ("Grown only on this island, with love!") and for whatever reason the rice he'd bought had red seeds mixed in with the usual white ("Dyed rice is the specialty of this island! With love!"), but beside the eccentric oddities the place passed off as romantic, it was a charming little town. He'd love to take Nami and Robin out for a pleasant evening here, if sweet Robin-chan could do so without suffering from allergies.

The island was, as advertised, the perfect destination for lovers looking for a romantic getaway. The flowers, once you got used to them, gave the island a warm and inviting atmosphere. The shops were lavishly decorated and the people were friendly and engaging. It was the ideal place for love the likes of which he'd only heard about in fairy tales. And Sanji was beginning to find it massively amusing.

Sanji did not know much about love, having hardly the time for it as a wanted pirate. Even before, when he was the sous-chef on the Baratie, his job was round the clock and love held no interest for him. But he was absolutely certain this kind of romance this island prided itself on was cheesy and far too over-embellished. That didn't stop him from pretending to love every bit of it though. He'd noticed the marimo's disgusted sneer since they'd entered the first shop. The swordsman's face had been growing more and more comically outraged at they made their rounds, each shop seeming to offend him more than the last.

Sanji could never miss the opportunity to further annoy Zoro. He swooned over the ridiculous decorations in each shop, and treated each "romantic" suggestion from the shopkeepers as if it were golden advice, and engaged Brook in conversations about what sort of music would be appropriate for a date in this town. Brook seemed to be getting into the joke as well, humming out bars of music for Sanji to hear while explaining what kind of music made for the best atmosphere. Of course, Sanji supposed Brook _could_ have been serious; it was hard to tell since he didn't have a face to make expressions with or eyes that Sanji could read his thoughts in, but either way Sanji continued along that way, slowly driving the swordsman crazy.

Had it not been for Zoro's attitude toward the town and his comments to the man they'd met when they'd arrived, Sanji wouldn't have bothered with the torture he was bestowing on the marimo. But Zoro's grumpy attitude was simply begging for Sanji to try the other man's patience. When Zoro had called this romantic stuff stupid, Sanji partially agreed. But when Sanji had tried to at least behave politely (a concept far lost on the moss-brain, Sanji didn't even know why he bothered trying) and made a comment about some people enjoying romance, Zoro's attitude had flat out pissed the cook off.

There had been flat out defiance in his tone and a clearly written message in his eyes that read, "You'd better not even think of expecting that from me".

It wasn't that Sanji ever expected Zoro to bring him flowers, take him out to some overpriced dinner of mediocre food (that Sanji could have cooked on the Sunny with twice the flavor), or dance the night away with him under a full moon, surrounded by rose petals. Sanji wasn't a woman, though he suspected even Nami and Robin would laugh at such a ridiculous idea, and he certainly didn't see the appeal in any of that. What had the cook especially pissed off this time was Zoro's bad attitude about it, without even taking Sanji's feelings into consideration.

And what did Zoro take him for, thinking Sanji wanted things like that at all. Sanji had always imagined that out of everyone on the crew, Zoro probably knew him best. Despite the fact that they fought more often than they spoke, he always got the feeling Zoro understood him in ways most didn't. Clearly the marimo didn't know him that well, thinking Sanji wanted to be wined and dined on some cheesy date. That was why Sanji was taking especial joy in his current mission to annoy Zoro. He wasn't going to let the marimo get off easy now.

With most of their shopping done, Brook suggested they stopped for tea at a cozy looking tea shop down the street. Sanji readily agreed and followed Brook's lead. Zoro scoffed from behind but followed, dragging his feet reluctantly behind them.

The tea shop, like the rest of the town, was excessively decorated in reds, pinks, and whites. The tables and chairs were made of beautifully crafted iron, painted white, and the chairs were padded with thick red cushions. Cut out hearts in reds and pinks, trimmed with white lacy hung in intervals from the ceiling. The walls were white, but hidden almost entirely under a massive collection of framed paintings featuring romantic scenes like couples exchanging sweet kisses or couples sitting together under a sea of stars. There were also banners with quotes written on them. The one nearest them read, "Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead." Sanji had to resist the urge to snort as he followed Brook further inside.

"What a charming little tea shop," Brook commented after they'd taken their seats. "Look they even have heart shaped tea cups!"

Sanji couldn't help but chuckle at that, but quickly paid a compliment to the shop when he noticed the marimo's glare. "I can just imagine what a lovely place this would be for a nice afternoon date. Look at the pictures, suggestive aren't they?" Sanji winked at Zoro who's scowl deepened.

"Yohohoho, indeed!" Brook laughed. "They certainly make one feel the love," He sighed dreamily.

"That's it," Zoro snapped, slamming his hands down onto the table and standing up. The sudden noise startled the poor waitress who jumped and stared wide eyed at the group.

"What the hell's the matter with you, Marimo?" Sanji asked, glaring at him. Of course Sanji knew what was wrong, he'd been steadily working Zoro to this point all day, but that was no reason to frighten the poor waitress.

"I've had it with this town," Zoro growled. "I'm out of here," He said, making for the door before Sanji could even call out to him.

"Hmm," Brook mused, sipping at his tea. "I suppose it was only a matter of time before we got him to his breaking point," He laughed softly. "Now Sanji-san," Brook said, his skeletal face turning to the cook and regarding him intently. "Perhaps you'd like to explain to me the relationship between you and Zoro-san?"

* * *

Zoro couldn't wait to make it back to the Sunny. He'd rather be cramped up in the confines of the ship with eight other people than spend another moment in this pink and red, smelly, _romance_ island. This was, in Zoro's opinion, the most embarassing place a band of pirates could ever land, and he couldn't believe the love-cook was enjoying himself as much as he was.

Zoro stopped, turning around and surveying the surrounding area. What was Sanji playing at? He had to know Zoro wasn't into things like this. Zoro couldn't believe Sanji was; though he was the love-cook, perhaps Zoro shouldn't have been surprised. Zoro was not going to humiliate himself for the cook's sake though. There was no chance of that, and if Sanji hated him for it that was too bad.

Zoro scratched his head in irritation and let out an aggravated sigh, turning back the way he came. It was going to take a while for him to get back to the Sunny, and he wished for a moment that he'd stayed with the cook and the skeleton. Perhaps then he could have avoided this situation.

* * *

Sanji managed to avoid the musician's question by quickly pointing to the waitress and making the comment "I wonder what kind of panties she wears." This seemed to wipe the topic of the cook and the swordsman from Brook's mind as he approached the young lady to pose his usual question.

They'd been thrown from the shop after that, but Sanji had had just about enough of this island anyway. Without Zoro around to tease, there was no point in pretending to enjoy the shitty decorations and the shitty "romance" theme. Together he and Brook decided it was time to head back to the Sunny, now both heavily laden with supplies since their swordsman had up and left them behind. Sanji wondered how Zoro thought he was even going to find the Sunny. Though there was only one path leading back to their ship, Zoro's sense of direction had surely already led him astray several times.

Sanji shrugged mentally, adjusting his hold on their bags. It was the swordsman's own problem if he ended up lost in the middle of a rosebush. It was not Sanji's problem. _Let this serve as a lesson to the shitty bastard, _Sanji thought, _for treating me like I'm the idiot in this relationship._

The thought crossed Sanji's mind and called his body to a complete halt. Even though he had been aware of the marimo's feeling for a while now, and even though he felt much the same, he'd never really considered them to be in a relationship. Or perhaps he did, deep down…but he'd never been in a relationship like this before, and the idea seemed so strange. After all, if this island was an example of how normal relationships went, there was no way possible he and the marimo would ever have a normal relationship.

"Is something wrong, Sanji-san?" Brook asked, noticing that the cook was no longer with him.

Sanji shook his head, effectively clearing away his thoughts and answering Brook at the same time. "Nothing at all," He said, catching up to the musician. "We should hurry back to the Sunny, before Luffy starts trying to eat Chopper again."

Brook laughed and followed Sanji's lead.

* * *

Night fells and the marimo still hadn't returned. Dinner had come and gone, the crew more than happy with the abundance of food. They ate themselves full to bursting for the first time in quite a while, and Sanji received many compliments on the meal. After dinner they'd lingered at the table, spending time together with each other in a way they had not in quite some time.

You'd think being on a relatively small ship in the middle of the ocean would force them together, and it did, but just because you were forced to share a small space with someone doesn't mean that you're going to enjoy the other's company. Mostly they spent very little time enjoying each other's company as a crew and instead seemed to break off into smaller, more manageable groups.

That was probably for the best, Sanji decided, wiping sweat away from his brow. He'd been cleaning the mess made from their little union up for what felt like hours. Gathering eight rambunctious and mostly eccentric pirates into one small area for a feast and story swapping was always bound to end messily. Sanji was partially glad they didn't do this more often, or he'd never have the free time between meals. Of course the time spent with his nakama was always worth a little extra effort.

The cleaning probably could have gone much faster with his usual helper, but Zoro missed dinner entirely, and unless he'd snuck up to the crow's nest while everyone was eating, Sanji was fairly sure the swordsman was still running around the town, lost. Sanji had the policy not to worry about Zoro; he was all muscle and no brains for a reason. But Sanji also hated not knowing where any one of his crew mates were, even muscle-brained moss-heads like Zoro.

Kitchen cleaned, Sanji threw his cleaning rag into the sink and stood back to admire his work and enjoy a cigarette. It was a job well done after all, Sanji felt he deserved it. Once he'd finished his celebratory cigarette, he left the galley, flicking the light off behind him.

With the galley light out, the deck should have been nearly pitch black. The crew had long since gone to bed; he knew because the bastards had the nerve to wish him a good night while he cleaned up their mess. So when the sight of the deck being, well, not dark, registered into his brain Sanji instantly went on high alert.

The light was dim, barely lighting the surroundings and casting long, flickering shadows. Not ship lights, so it was unlikely to be a marine attack. The marines didn't exactly understand the concept of subtlety, that was for sure. What else then? The way the shadows flickered and moved, jumping and dancing to an unheard rhythm, suggested firelight. It wasn't very bright, so Sanji happily ruled out a fire on their ship. Perhaps a lantern? A sneak thief thinking he'd get away with a pirate's gold while they slept? If so, Sanji felt very bad for the man, Nami-san would never allow anyone to take their money without her permission.

Sanji decided his best course of action would probably be to rid the ship of the nuisance before something happened that woke the others up. Lighting another cigarette, he followed the trail of the shadows to the light's source.

Rounding the corner, he was met so shocking his jaw actually dropped, sending his cigarette tumbling from his mouth. It caught in a fold in his shirt where it singed a hole before he batted it away. The hole in his shirt bothered him, but not enough to wipe the disbelief from his mind at the moment.

"Marimo, what the hell are you doing?"

Zoro's discontent scowl didn't match the scene around him. Hell, it didn't even match what he was wearing! Sanji had never seen Zoro dressed in anything nicer than a clean white t-shirt and his black pants. That was probably the reason the freshly pressed black slacks and dark green button up shirt, neatly tucked in looked so foreign. Not to mention the _tie_. Sanji had never even tried to picture the marimo wearing a tie before. He wore one now though, tied in an unbelievably perfect knot around the swordsman's collar.

The fancy clothes were offset by the marimo green hair and the three earrings, but Sanji had never seen Zoro look quite so sexy in all of his life. That was hardly the beginning of this bizarre dream though. And a dream it had to be, because there was no way the marimo was standing beside a candle lit table set for two, holding a rose, and looking hilariously unsure of himself.

Zoro's frown deepened when Sanji spoke, but this biting insults that Sanji was used to hearing from the swordsman's mouth never came. Instead Zoro held the rose in his hand out toward Sanji. "For you," He said gruffly.

Sanji frowned in complete confusion, but accepted the rose anyway.

"I asked around town," Zoro spoke, filling in for Sanji's stunned silence. His voice sounded stain, as if keeping up polite conversation with the cook was physically painful. "Red roses are a symbol of love," He said, pointing at the rose in Sanji's hand. "But they are also a symbol of respect, so that's why I picked it," He didn't meet Sanji's eyes when he spoke, keeping his gaze on the rose or off to the side. "Anyway, I know you probably just ate dinner, but I brought some food, so..." He trailed off, gesturing a little helplessly to the table.

Sanji's voice seemed to have fled his body, and he was uncertain of when it would be returning. His body seemed to move on autopilot towards the small table (where had Zoro even gotten such a thing?) and sat him in the chair. The table was neatly arranged. It was clearly set by the marimo because it lacked the set up proper dining etiquette called for, but it was at least neat and presentable, covered in a white tablecloth with two tall candles set in between. There was a small covered dish in front of each chair, and a flute of wine set before each dish. The candles on the table provided little light; that was mostly provided by the shorter, thicker candles the marimo had lined along the railing beside them and on the tops of any available surface.

Sanji stared at the table set before him in awe.

"Here," Zoro sighed. "Let me take that," He said, reaching for the rose in Sanji's hand. Sanji almost yanked it away, keeping the rose to himself, but had just enough presence of mind to bypass that urge. Zoro slipped it gently from Sanji's hand and slid it into a thin vase that Sanji had only just noticed on the table. With the rose placed as a centerpiece, Zoro set about uncovering their dishes.

Two thin slices of an elegant looking cake were placed on each plate. Finally Zoro took the seat across from him and picked up his fork, waiting expectantly for Sanji to do the same. "I figured no one's food could compare to yours, so I brought dessert instead. It looked good enough," Zoro shrugged taking a bite. His nose wrinkled and he swallowed quickly, chasing the bite with an inelegant gulp of wine. "It's too sweet."

The image of Zoro complaining about dessert while chugging down an alcoholic beverage was so familiar to Sanji that he found his voice returning to him. "Of course it's sweet, shitty-marimo, it's a cake. And," He took an experimental sip of wine. "You didn't even choose the right kind of wine for it."

Zoro scowled and Sanji felt that put him into much more familiar territory, so he continued on. "And so I'll ask again: What the hell are you doing, Marimo?"

"It's a date," Zoro said plainly, which a look that suggested Sanji was truly an idiot. "You said some people liked being treated to a romantic evening, and you were excited about this stupid stuff all day, so I thought I-"

The end of Zoro's sentence was cut off by Sanji's sudden outburst of laughter. The cook was nearly doubled over as peals laughter fell from his lips. The laughter continued until he was gasping for breath and wiping tears from his eyes. Zoro folded his arms across his chest and glared down the blonde.

Once Sanji had caught his breath he spoke. "Zoro I _hate _this stuff," He said, laughing again. "I was just making a big deal out of it because it seemed to annoy you."

Zoro's glare left him and settled on an invisible spot out at sea while his cheeks grew a little redder. "Shit-cook," He muttered.

"I'm sorry! If I'd known you were actually going to do something like this I would've warned you," Sanji sighed.

Zoro eyed him before looking back out at the water. "So you didn't like any of this?"

Sanji felt a wave of guilt wash over him like a sudden rainstorm. Zoro had obviously put a lot of effort into this for Sanji, to make him happy, even if the marimo's instincts had been a little off. It was a sweet gesture.

"I wouldn't say that," Sanji smiled, picking up his fork and taking another bite of the cake. It was too sweet, and it was clear its appeal laid solely in its appearance. "You brought me the cake because you knew I wouldn't be impressed with someone else's food," Sanji smiled. The marimo was eyeing him sideways again, but Sanji knew he was paying attention. "And you served wine, even though I know you prefer to drink sake," Sanji said, taking another sip of the wine. "This rose," He said fingering the petals. Zoro turned to face him again, but still didn't meet his eyes. "You said it was a symbol of respect? And you gave it to me..." Sanji trailed off with a smile.

Zoro frowned at the rose as if it had said something offensive.

Sanji chuckled. "But I really thought you hated this stuff, Marimo," He said. "You called it bullshit."

"I do," Zoro grumbled. "And it is."

"Hmm," Sanji hummed thoughtfully. "But you still did it for me, because you thought I'd like it."

Zoro finally met his eyes. He looked embarrassed but defiant; he was daring Sanji to make fun of him.

Of course Sanji had no such intentions. Instead he smiled warmly at the man across from him. "You're surprisingly sweet, Zoro," He said.

Zoro blushed and looked away again, only this time he looked slightly less ashamed and a little bit proud of himself.

"Now," Sanji continued. "Since it's here, we might as well enjoy this date of ours, right? But you can drop the polite act. I prefer my marimo to be a little rough around the edges," He winked playfully.

Zoro rolled his eyes but a smile lit up his face. "Thank god, it was getting a little hard to keep acting like I liked you."

Sanji kicked him under the table, hard enough to make the moss-brain flinch. Sanji finished his slice of cake and forced Zoro to eat his, laughing at his face as he swallowed each bite. When they'd finished eating, Sanji sat in silence with the marimo, sipping at his wine (Zoro has long since downed his). It was a comfortable silence, the kind Sanji found himself only capable of truly enjoying when he was around Zoro.

He looked across to the man in question. Zoro was staring across the deck, seemingly lost in thought. This was good for Sanji, it gave him the opportunity to really look at Zoro without being caught. The Zoro who'd gone around this cheesy little town, gathering up supplies and ideas for a "romantic" date that Sanji would enjoy. Just for Sanji...the idea made the cook blush. Or perhaps that was the wine. Yes, he'd blame the wine.

"See something you like?" Zoro asked teasingly, having caught Sanji staring.

Sanji smirked, not missing a beat. "I do," He replied. "You should dress like that more often, Marimo, it's fucking sexy."

The blunt reply left Zoro gaping, just as Sanji had intended. With one last playful smirk, Sanji blatantly trailed his eyes up Zoro's body before standing.

"Now," Sanji smiled, down to Zoro. "Clean this up, Marimo. You don't want to make a mess for the others," He said before turning and making his way towards the boys' bunkroom, leaving a very flustered swordsman behind him.

* * *

**A/N:**

Who even decided pink and red should go together? Yuck.

At first I was really sure I hated this chapter, that my characters were changing into something awful, and that the whole thing was just a big repeat of previous chapters. But I guess it didn't turn out as bad as I thought. And it was pretty fun to write. So hopefully you enjoy.

Thank you again for your wonderful reviews! You guys were so sweet about my wrist, telling me to take it easy and all, that I just had to work on the next chapter as soon as possible. You are all the most wonderful readers. Thank you very much!

On the topic of my wrist, I'm giving up on the weekly updates I think. I'm sorry, I wanted to keep that going but it's too hard on me I think. We're getting pretty close to the end, and I swear I'll pump out chapters as fast as possible and I will definitely see this through to the end, but I have other ideas for fics I'd like to write and I'd hate to make this the last one I ever do or something. So bear with me and thank you for your patience!

Pardon my mistakes, particularly if you see "Franky" typed as "Frank". Either Word or myself made that mistake several times, and I'm pretty sure I got them all but in case I missed one, I'm sorry. Also there were a lot of mistakes I edited out but surely many I missed, I'm sorry!

I hope you enjoyed!


	14. Chapter 14

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love **

**Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**13. They were nakama.  
**Sanji, Zoro, and the rest of the crew as well; they were all nakama. Surely a relationship would complicate that.

* * *

Sanji loomed over Chopper, one foot placed threateningly on the wall above the little reindeer's head. Chopper stared back up at the cook, tears welling up in his eyes. Behind them the rest of the crew had gathered loosely and were watching the scene unfold.

"Chopper, I'll ask one more time," Sanji spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "Did you steal the herbs I had gathered from the last island?"

The island in question has been rich in natural resources, and Sanji had felt like he'd struck gold when he found a plethora of herbs he'd recognized. He'd been sure to collect as many as he could, hanging them from the kitchen ceiling on neat lines that Usopp had to sacrifice some rope to hang, in order for them to dry. They'd be used to replenish his seasonings. Or they _would_ have been, had Sanji not woken one morning to find his collection of hanging herbs had severely depleted overnight.

They were drifting at sea, miles and miles from the nearest island, with only eight other crewmembers. That narrowed the list of suspects down significantly. And Sanji knew he could narrow it down even further. Neither of his precious ladies would ever take something without asking. They were far too cultured and polite to do something so unrefined. Sanji ruled out Brook next. Despite his tendency to be downright indecent, Brook was for the most part polite. Besides, it's not like a skeleton has any use for seasoning herbs anyway. Franky was innocent. The older man was eccentric but honest, and Sanji couldn't think of a single use Franky would have for some spare herbs anyway.

Zoro was out too. If there was one thing that Sanji had learned about Zoro in the past couple of months it was that the marimo knew how to respect Sanji's kitchen. It was possible Zoro had taken them just to piss the cook off, but that was unlikely and Sanji dismissed the idea as quickly as it had come. Once upon a time he probably would have jumped on the idea like Luffy on meat, but Sanji had spent the past couple weeks getting to know Zoro far better than Sanji ever would have thought he could.

One thing he'd learned, that had actually shocked him speechless at the time, was that Zoro knew where to draw the line when they fought; which they still did, frequently. Even with all their feelings out on the table now, Zoro still managed to push every one of Sanji's buttons just right, and vice versa. Sanji feared that would never change between them, but he'd noticed things. Subtle things, things he probably would never have noticed had he not been seeing Zoro through new eyes these days.

There were times in their arguments, usually when tempers were really heading towards boiling, that Zoro would just stop. He'd throw in a couple of weak insults, perhaps, to keep his pride; but the fight left him pretty much entirely. The first couple of times it happened Sanji barely noticed, his own rage making his thoughts a mess. But when he started picking up on it, it floored him. He couldn't believe _Zoro_ of all people, was backing down from a fight.

Sanji wasn't sure what the triggers were that made this happen, though he had some ideas. Some days the marimo would fight with him until Nami or Luffy called them to order. Sometimes though, Sanji noticed the argument was headed perilously close to personal territory, and it was times like these that Zoro seemed to give up the most.

It didn't take a genius to realize what was happening. The nature of their relationship had changed recently, taking a step into new and uncharted territory for the both of them. So new, in fact, that it was still relatively fragile with all of their uncertainties. Or, perhaps they were mostly Sanji's uncertainties. He hardly let the marimo do more than kiss him since the swordsman had awoken from his cricket-induced coma. It was Sanji's temper that flared first in most of their fights; lashing out at the green-haired bastard was easier than admitting he was still unsure and self-conscious about entering a relationship with another man, let alone a man he'd been at war with since he'd joined the crew.

So Sanji picked the fights, setting them up just so to try the marimo's patience. And when these fights started heading towards fragile territory, where insults that honestly might hurt Sanji could be thrown, Zoro gave up. Once Sanji had figured that out, he was nearly taken to his knees with the shock of it. Zoro, whose dream was to be the greatest swordsman in the entire world, was giving up a fight so as to not hurt Sanji's feelings.

The idea was ludicrous, impossible, and very, very flattering.

So, if Zoro could throw a verbal fight with the cook in order to keep the other man happy, Sanji highly doubted Zoro would steal Sanji's fresh herbs. Besides, Zoro had already long ago proven he would show respect for the things in Sanji's kitchen. Booze was the exception of course, the marimo was always going to steal that, but by this point in time Sanji was mostly over that and only put up a fight in the interest of keeping traditions.

That left Sanji with three likely candidates for the thievery. The first was Luffy. It wasn't uncommon for Luffy to sneak into the galley and steal food. Sanji had learned that the hard way not long after he'd joined the crew, and had carefully kept all scraps of food locked away since then. Sanji hadn't thought that Luffy might eat raw herbs, especially given that they were mostly a little bitter on their own. However he knew better than to put it past the rubber man to eat them anyway.

The second was Usopp. Usopp was another Sanji was fairly used to be raided by, though not for the same things or reasons as Luffy. Mostly Usopp would deplete Sanji's pepper supply, use up all the ketchup, and occasionally dip into Sanji's spices, looking for new blends and reactions for his weapons. Sanji certainly wouldn't put it past his long-nosed friend to steal fresh herbs that undoubtedly could be made into some sort of ridiculous-but-effective form of ammo.

The last was Chopper. Sanji hated to accuse Chopper, because even if it were the little doctor there was probably a good reason. Sanji knew Chopper was constantly blending herbs, much like Usopp with his spices, but Chopper's herbs were usually made into things that would greatly benefit his nakama later. Medications, pain relievers, tranquilizers, the little doctor could make them all and use them to more than effectively heal his crewmates.

It was also difficult to accuse the little reindeer because, well, unlike Luffy and Usopp, Chopper had _never_ stolen from Sanji before. He collected or bought his own herbs when he wanted them. It was unlikely, but Sanji couldn't let the doctor of free without at least asking.

Still, Sanji started with the other two first. Even though they were both no good little thieves, they were also terrible liars. Luffy usually bragged about his accomplishment, and Usopp cracked easily under pressure. When asked however, Luffy seemed to curse that he hadn't thought of the idea (Sanji decided the herbs would have to be locked in the pantry at night). Usopp cowered in fear, but swore up and down he hadn't touched Sanji's herbs or anything else in Sanji's galley recently. He even swore it on his dead mother's grave, and that was more than enough for Sanji.

Which left only one possible suspect.

That was how Sanji came to stand before the little reindeer, questioning him in his most intimidating manner. The first time Sanji had asked, Chopper had actually had the audacity to lie to the cook. Sanji could see the truth plainly written in the doctor's tense stance and guilty eyes that wouldn't meet Sanji's own. Sanji had been trying to be patient with the little guy; he was the youngest on the crew after all and was usually not the most annoying. But the lie struck Sanji like a physical slap. That little, innocent Chopper would lie to him hurt worse than when Zoro made fun of his eyebrows.

"Chopper," Zoro growled warningly from behind Sanji. Sanji spared him a brief glance, noticing the rest of the crew had surrounded them as well and were looking on expectantly. "Are you lying to Sanji?" Zoro continued. "I would hope you would know better than to lie to one of your nakama," His voice was stern and his gaze was unyielding. Sanji knew the moment he heard his name come from Zoro's mouth that the swordsman was serious.

Sanji almost thought to tell the swordsman to ease up, it was just a few herbs after all, but he could see Zoro's true intentions written plainly in his eyes, even if they were currently concentrated on the doctor. Zoro had been as hurt by Chopper's lie as Sanji had. They were nakama, they trusted each other without question. An outright lie like that was unforgivable.

Tears welled up in Chopper's eyes, spilling over and flooding down through the fur on his face. "I'm sorry Sanji!" The little doctor wailed, wiping furiously at his eyes. It did him little good, the tears continued to fall in full force as he continued to sob. "I'm sorry I lied! I took them. I got distracted at the last island and didn't pick any for myself, and the ones you had were good for pain and I needed them so I took them," With his confession made, Chopper broke down into unintelligible tears.

Sanji sighed, patting the little doctor's hat gently. He glanced at Zoro. The swordsman's eyes had softened, as they often did when Chopper was around. All was forgiven again between the three off them.

Luffy stepped forward, laughing as he approached. "It's okay, Chopper," He said, patting the reindeer on the shoulder and effectively calming him down much better than Sanji had. "You're forgiven, and I know you won't do it again," Luffy continued standing to clap Sanji on the shoulder as well. "We're all nakama, I know none of you would do anything to mess that up."

The crew quickly dispersed after that, each returning to the various tasks they'd been working at before the cook's little show. Sanji returned to the galley, set to make breakfast which he'd been putting off in order to figure out who'd been in his galley.

Once he'd made it to the safety of his kitchen, he placed both hands on the counter, leaning against the solid support hoping it would help to steady his spinning mind. It did little to help though, at his captain's last words repeated again and again in his mind.

"_We're all nakama, I know none of you would do anything to mess that up."_

* * *

Zoro had no idea what he'd done wrong. Granted even he could admit he tended to act or speak first and think later, he usually knew the moment he'd said or done the wrong thing. Nothing came to mind though. He could not think of a single reason the cook would suddenly start avoiding him like a bad odor.

In fact he knew he'd been especially careful around the cook lately. He knew Sanji, knew the cook would be wary of any relationship they might have. Hell, Zoro hadn't imagined he'd even get this far with the cook, figuring his one-sided affections for the other man would remain just that, one-sided. The fact that Sanji seemed to return those affections was a dream come true. Getting to spend time with the cook, getting to _kiss_ the cook was so unreal to Zoro that he thought he was dreaming half the time. There was absolutely no way possible he was going to screw that up.

Except...apparently he had. He wasn't sure how, but something he'd said or done had obviously upset the cook. He'd poured more time into figuring out exactly _what_ he'd done than he had on his daily training lately, which only served to put him into a darker mood about the whole thing.

It seemed to have started a few days ago, when Chopper had confessed to stealing some of the cook's plants. Things were still going well there, nothing seemed wrong at the time. The cook had made breakfast and served it in good spirits, making sure to shower the women in an exaggerated amount of stupid compliments. It was a breakfast like any other.

And then after breakfast, Zoro did as he always had been doing lately. He gathered the used plates, platters, cups, and silverware and brought them to the sink where Sanji had already started on the pots and pans. Every other day, Sanji would slide over, allowing Zoro room to stand beside him, and Zoro would take up a clean dish towel and start drying.

On that day though, Zoro had hardly set the plates down on the counter before Sanji stopped him.

"Thanks, Marimo," Sanji was speaking, but if Zoro hadn't seen his lips move he wouldn't have believed it. Sanji's voice was usually so full of life, either passionate anger or playful teasing or delighted cooing when there were women involved. Never had Zoro heard Sanji use such a flat, disinterested tone. "I don't need help today. Why don't you just go lift something or take a nap instead?" The cook continued.

Zoro would have expected a line like this to be delivered with an eye roll and a touch of sarcasm, but there was none of that. Instead Sanji stared blankly into the water before him, no hint of emotion written on his face.

"I don't mind helping, Cook," Zoro frowned, watching the cook for some hint of _something_.

"No, I can do it," Sanji replied, his voice still flat and his eyes still carefully averted from Zoro. "It's not much."

Zoro looked skeptically at the large pile of dishes he'd amassed on the counter. There was no such thing as "not much" when it came to the Straw Hat's meals, and this morning was certainly no exception to that.

"Are you okay?" Zoro asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Fine," Sanji shrugged. "Just giving you the day off, Marimo, are you really going to complain about that?"

The question had enough bite that it almost sounded normal. Almost, though not quite. But it was enough that Zoro decided for now that he might be imagining things. Perhaps the cook was just tired, or still frustrated at the loss of his plant-things. Either of these made plenty of sense, and Zoro decided just to let it go for now. He'd help the cook at lunch when the other man was in a better mood.

But the cook's mood never improved. During meals, and when the crew was gathered together on deck, Sanji acted perfectly normal. But the moment he and Zoro were alone, Sanji adopted the same disinterested behavior he had in the galley that morning.

And it had been that way for _days_ now.

Zoro had tried several times to question the cook's sudden change in behavior, but the cook was avoiding him like he was a professional at it. In the galley Sanji always insisted he needed to be left alone; a wish Zoro could not, in good conscience, deny him this seeing as the galley was Sanji's and Sanji's alone. The man was suspiciously never on watch when Zoro checked, and he left the boys' bunkroom early in the morning and retired late at night. On the deck the cook surrounded himself with at least one of their nakama at all times.

He didn't appear to be actively avoiding Zoro, but Zoro knew better. It was all just a little too convenient to be coincidence. No, Zoro was definitely being avoided; he just couldn't come up with _why. _He needed to talk the cook, and soon before everything he'd been hoping for crumbled apart again. Zoro wasn't going to let that happen; he wasn't going to get Sanji get away without at least _trying_. Zoro's dream was to become the world's greatest swordsman. You didn't strive for a dream like that without a massive amount of determination.

There was only one place Zoro knew he could catch the cook alone and the bastard couldn't avoid him. It was risking Sanji's ultimate wrath, but even the shit-cook's wrath would be better than the absolute nothingness Zoro had been getting from him lately. So he was sticking to this plan no matter what.

* * *

It was after dinner that Zoro had executed his plan. He laid down on the deck in a specifically chosen spot. Specifically chosen because it gave him a clear view of the galley, as well as a wide view of the rest of the back half the ship. Then he waited.

Sanji emerged from the kitchen well over an hour after dinner was over. Apparently it took a long time to wash dishes by yourself, but that was the stubborn cook's own fault and Zoro didn't pity him too much. He watched through squinted eyes as the cook leaned against the woodwork and lit a cigarette, taking a few minutes to enjoy a post-chore smoke. Zoro watched while the cook finally finished, stubbing the cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe and moving to the railing to pitch the finished butt over the side of the ship.

Finally the cook moved on, the swordsman watching with relief as the idiot chef moved in his usual predictable manner. At least he was keeping to his usual routines; Zoro's plan wouldn't have worked out if he hadn't. Zoro watched until the cook had moved out of view and then patiently counted to ten before pulling himself up to follow.

Zoro stood outside of the door he knew the cook was behind, taking one last final breath, mentally preparing a speech. Not that it was going to do him much good, he sighed to himself. Zoro didn't have a talent for calm, communicative speech. He was really more of a man of action.

With a forceful shove, one that would probably get him into trouble with Franky later, Zoro swung the door open inside with enough speed to startle the room's occupants.

Sanji spun quick as lightening, his startled gaze searching for the cause of the sudden commotion. He'd already lost his shirt, and the button of his pants had been undone. His hands were on the waistband of these pants and Zoro silently wished he'd had better timing.

When Sanji's eyes met his, the startled look in the cook's eyes contorted to one of rage.

"What the hell, Shitty-marimo?! What's your problem?! Can't you even knock, you uncivilized bastard?" He cook cursed, a glare shooting daggers at the other man.

Zoro pushed further into the bathroom, ignoring the cook's snarl of protest, and swung the door closed behind him. "We need to talk," He announced.

"Are you KIDDING ME?!" The cook shouted. His face was the picture of outrage and his hands had released his pants in favor of clenching into tight fists at his sides.

Zoro tried to push the inappropriate thoughts concerning the way Sanji's pants hung so low on his hips out of his mind, instead turning his attention back to the cook's angry expression.

"I'm trying to take a bath," Sanji hissed. He was no longer shouting, but the quiet tone held more venom and anger. "Something I know Neanderthals like you don't do, but they require privacy. So _get out._" The last two words were spoken with so much menace that Zoro almost winced.

But he was not going to be deterred. Not now, when he had the cook cornered in neutral territory where he would _have_ to speak. Instead he plowed through the planned speech in his mind. "Why have you been avoiding me?" He asked.

Sanji's glare softened ever so slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about," He replied. "I've just been busy lately. It's nothing personal."

It was almost a believable lie, but Sanji looked away when he said it, failing to meet Zoro's eyes.

"Bullshit," Zoro frowned, stepping closer to the cook.

Sanji took a startled step backwards, looking as though close proximity to Zoro might actually hurt him. It stung, a lot, Zoro could almost feel it like a knife in his heart, but he was determined to force an answer from the cook regardless.

Seeing the determination written plainly on the marimo's face, Sanji knew it was pointless to fight him. When Zoro wore that face, he wasn't going to give up until he got his way. It was similar to the look he got when someone mentioned Mihawk, or when Zoro was standing between his crew and a threat. He wouldn't back down no matter what.

"We're nakama," Sanji finally said.

It was clear by the look of confusion that swept over the marimo's face that this simple sentence didn't hold the same meaning to him that it did to Sanji. Sanji sighed heavily. It was bad enough having to ignore the bastard and hope he'd get the hint, now he was actually going to have to explain something to this empty-headed marimo.

"We, you and I and the others, are all nakama," Sanji repeated again, pausing to see if maybe the other man got it. He didn't so the cook continued. "We can't mess that up," Another pause. Confusion still clouded the marimo's features. "You and I can't mess that up, Marimo," Sanji said finally, with a heavy sigh. "We can't do anything to mess that up."

Finally understanding seemed to sink in. Zoro's face seemed to reach an epiphany of thought before a scowl settled on his features again. "You think a relationship would mess that up?"

"I know it would," Sanji replied. He was wearing that stoic expression again, the one that masked all his emotions. But looking closer, Zoro could see the slump in the cook's shoulders, the sag of defeat weighing heavily on the other man's body. "What if something goes wrong, and it doesn't work? One of us would have to leave," Sanji continued. "And what about the others? What if in the heat of battle we're so worried about each other that we forget about them and something horrible happens? Could you forgive yourself? I know I couldn't."

Sanji looked sad, Zoro realized. It was such a foreign look on the cook's face. Sanji didn't get sad about things, he got angry about them. Seeing the forlorn expression on his face sent a wave of sadness through Zoro as well.

"Cook," He frowned. "I don't think it would be like that at all."

Sanji looked at him, the sadness in his eyes piercing the swordsman's heart. "It would be exactly like that, idiot," He replied. "Now get out so I can bathe. I have the midwatch tonight and I want to get some sleep before then."

Zoro was weak against the look in the cook's eyes and found himself obeying the cook's demand. Once he was on the other side of the bathroom door, he leaned against the frame letting out a heavy sigh of frustration. Of course Sanji was going to be an idiot about this. He wasn't thinking entirely too much about this, and no doubt he'd had plenty of time to freak himself out a million different ways.

Zoro knew Sanji wouldn't give in about this. Not when the cook thought it was something for the best of the crew. Meaning there was nothing Zoro could do to change his mind. Or, rather, there was nothing Zoro could verbally do. But talking had never been Zoro's strong point. He worked much better with action. Another plan formed in his mind, and he couldn't help but smile at the genius of it. It was right up his area of expertise after all.

* * *

Sanji relieved a tired looking Franky from his watch. The cyborg gave Sanji a grateful (and thankfully more gentle than usual) pat on the back, assuring him that the night was quiet and uneventful. Nothing too unusual there, the Straw Hats usually went looking for trouble; it wasn't often that it found them on its own.

Sanji took a seat on the bench and stared out the window. Of course there hadn't been and danger, the night was so peaceful it couldn't be possible. Even the ocean was almost perfectly still, the multitude of stars from the perfect cloudless sky reflected clearly in its black depths. It was a truly beautiful sight, and Sanji thought it made the midwatch just a little bit worth it.

The night was so quiet and so still that he nearly shrieked when the hatch to the crow's nest flew open with a loud bang. As it was, he jolted in his seat, taking a moment for the idea of 'danger' to sink in before he leapt to his feet, ready to take on the intruder.

He relaxed a bit once he saw that the 'intruder' had stupid green hair and wore and a shitty smirk. Of course it was the marimo, because Sanji knew he wouldn't actually let his crew be caught off guard while he was on watch, and the shitty bastard was the only one who would be awake at such an indecent time of the night. Sanji always said he napped too much during the day.

"What do you want, Shitty-marimo?" Sanji asked, his face slipping back into the perfect portrayal of disinterest. He was an expert in that look by now. "I'm not cooking you food, just so you know."

"I don't want food, Shit-cook," The swordsman chuckled darkly. "Let's fight."

It was the least subtle attempt at goading him into a fight that Zoro had ever made. Sanji frowned, what exactly was the marimo pulling here? Sanji wished he'd just leave him alone. In fact Sanji would happily give Zoro all the booze in the world if the shitty bastard would just disappear and stop wearing that cocksure grin that was absolutely torturing Sanji's insides.

"I don't want to fight, Marimo," Sanji sighed heavily. "There's booze in the kitchen pantry. Top shelf on the left behind the sugar. Take it all, I don't care."

But of course Zoro didn't move. He was stupidly stubborn all the time and why, just why, had Sanji fallen for such a thick-headed idiot?

"Alright," Zoro said, his confidence never wavering. "If you won't fight I guess it'll be a one-sided ass kicking then," He shrugged before unsheathing Wado and charging the cook.

Despite his reluctance to fight with the shitty-marimo, Sanji wasn't going to sit there and let himself be beaten either. Once Zoro had come within striking distance, his katana swinging down in a deadly arc, Sanji kicked off with his foot and slid down the bench and out of harm's way. Zoro stayed his blade just before it sank through the seat of the bench, an action that surely would have cost him his life at the hand of an angry cyborg shipwright. He sent a slightly impressed look down the bench to the cook. His speed was as impressive as ever.

Sanji stood from the bench, pausing to light a cigarette before he looked up at the swordsman. "You missed, Shit-swordsman," He commented smugly, exhaling a cloud of smoke before he moved to the offensive.

It was the perfect fight, and Zoro relished it. There was nothing more enjoyable to him than fighting with Sanji. The cook's strengths were Zoro's weaknesses, and he loved the exertion fighting with the other man put on his body. It had been too long since he'd last gotten to fight with the stubborn cook that he'd almost forgotten why he'd come up here in the first place.

But he couldn't forget. He had a goal, and he was going to reach it at any cost. He just needed to wait for the perfect moment.

It happened when Sanji caught the swordsman off guard. Zoro had been swinging his blade, sure that he finally had the cook this time, when Sanji suddenly disappeared. Or seemed to disappear, in reality he'd ducked obscenely low, waiting for Zoro's katana to pass by before flipping back onto his hands and bringing his feet up. Zoro knew he'd messed up when he saw one polished shoe making an elegant drop towards him. He'd seen this attack used against their enemies, usually leaving them dead or incapable of moving ever again. It would snap into his neck, breaking vital bones and severing the nerves beneath them.

Except Sanji changed the angle of the kick at the last moment, allowing it to barely glance off the swordsman's shoulder. It hurt, there would undeniably be a bruise there tomorrow, but the bones remained unharmed.

Zoro recovered quickly from the blow, taking a few safe steps back. "You're holding back, Shit-cook," He said smugly.

Sanji glowered at him. "Of course I am, Shitty-marimo," He spat before moving to attack again.

A few swings and kicks later it happened again. A blow aimed to break Zoro's ribs into his heart was softened at the last moment, leaving him bruised and slightly winded, but unharmed.

"Why aren't you fighting seriously?" Zoro asked, taking another practiced swing at the cook.

Sanji's face darkened with his scowl. "I am fighting seriously!" He growled, launching a kick at Zoro's chin.

Zoro managed to dodge at the last second, bringing his sword up at the same moment. His sword connected, ripping the cook's shirt and slicing into the skin. It was a shallow wound, Zoro wouldn't actually want to _hurt_ the cook, but the blood stain would be enough to _really_ piss Sanji off.

"You bastard!" Sanji roared, throwing a fair bit more force into his next kick.

Zoro blocked it with his swords, but he could feel the force of it rattle down the blades and into his own body. It was a stronger kick, but nothing compared to what he knew the cook was capable of. He knew Sanji could break boulders and dent metal with his feet, there was no way he wouldn't break Zoro's bones if he was determined enough to.

"Not good enough, Cook," Zoro reprimanded. "I know you can do better."

Sanji pulled his foot back, hardly giving Zoro a moment before bringing the other one around to dislocate his jaw. He missed again, but Zoro could feel the wind left by the power of that kick. "Still not enough," He growled, taking a step back, just out of Sanji's reach. "You could have broken my ribs, my neck…why didn't you?"

Sanji fumed across from him. His patience with the marimo's little game had long since evaporated. He wasn't even sure what exactly the bastard was playing at, but it was really starting to piss him off.

"You know why, Shithead," Sanji growled.

"No, I really don't," Zoro shrugged. He looked so confident and sure and _damn proud_ of himself that Sanji really wanted to kill him, but settled for aiming a hard kick in the thigh.

Zoro took the blow, barely wincing as he continued, his voice a little tighter now as he spoke through the pain. "Why don't you tell me?"

Sanji didn't bother humoring him, instead he just resumed his attack. Zoro wanted a fight, Sanji was going to give him a fight, and fighting did not require talking.

But Zoro didn't give up. "Come on, harder Cook," He'd comment.

"Why are you pulling back at the last second?"

Sanji fought harder to ignore him.

"Again,"

Sanji tuned him out.

"Why didn't you just let that one connect?"

"Because it would kill you!" Sanji shouted. He clenched his hands into fists at his side and panted with both the exertion of the fight and his boiling rage.

"So?" Zoro paused, feigning a look at confusion. "So why don't you kill me?"

Sanji's rage reached a breaking point. "Because we're nakama, dumbass!" He screamed.

He'd expected Zoro to continue with his tormenting comments, but instead the swordsman was smiling at him. "Exactly."

Now Sanji was confused. The fight, the rage, it drained out of him pretty quickly in his confusion. The swordsman's smile left him feeling completely lost. "What?" He asked, hoping Zoro would enlighten him to what he was missing.

"We're nakama," Zoro repeated Sanji's words. "And nothing, _nothing_," He repeated forcefully. "Can ever change that."

This statement was so obviously true that Sanji felt a little stupid for needing to hear it from the marimo. But he _did_ need to hear it, because he'd really almost forgotten it.

"What would you do if Nami or Robin were in danger?" Zoro asked.

"I'd rush to their aid, of course," Sanji replied simply. He was, after all, Mr. Prince. Rescuing damsels in distress was his job.

"Even if I was in the same danger?" Zoro egged him on, like he already knew the answer.

"You can take care of yourself, Shitty-swordsman," Sanji answered, though the words lacked the bite of insult he'd usually give them. He was realizing what the swordsman was getting at.

"I don't need to be rescued by 'Mr. Prince,'" The swordsman snorted. "Do you get it, Cook?"

Sanji did get it. He knew why Zoro had picked a fight, why he'd accused Sanji of not trying hard enough. He also knew exactly what Zoro was telling him. A relationship between them wouldn't destroy their bonds as nakama. The relationship itself may or may not work out, but even if it didn't they'd still be _nakama_.

He trusted Zoro; he'd always known the swordsman could take care of himself in a fight, and somehow he knew Zoro could take care of him in a relationship. At least well enough to keep them bonded as they always had been, close as family but bitter rivals. And Sanji knew he'd certainly never do anything to force Zoro away from their crew, and he _definitely_ didn't need to be rescued by a green-headed idiot.

"So this," Sanji gestured between them. "Is okay?"

Zoro took a step closer. Sanji had relaxed his fighting stance some time ago, but Zoro could never be sure the cook wouldn't lose his temper and fire off like a rocket at any moment, especially with such a touchy subject. Now that he was sure the cook wasn't going to explode, he felt it safe to move closer.

"More than okay," Zoro replied. He pulled the cook to him and let out a happy sigh. "I think it's pretty damn perfect."

Sanji sighed as well, though he was glad the swordsman couldn't see his face at the moment. He was feeling rather foolish. "Well that's good," He chuckled. "It was getting really hard to pretend I didn't miss you so badly that it hurt."

Zoro pulled back just enough to send the cook a look of surprise. "Wow, Cook, are you sure you're feeling alright? That's by far the sweetest thing I've ever heard you say."

"Shut it, Marimo," Sanji growled menacingly, or as menacingly as he could while still being held by a smug looking swordsman.

"It's not a bad thing, I think it's pretty endearing really," Zoro continued, his grin widening in a way that served to piss Sanji off.

Sanji moved his leg back. "I said _shut up!_" He snarled, swinging his leg back again with the intent of smashing it painfully into the marimo's shin.

It didn't happen though, since Zoro had already released him and slid back just out of reach.

"Well if you want to continue our fight, that's fine too, Cook," Zoro chuckled, unsheathing his katana.

Sanji had never enjoyed a fight with the marimo so much as he did in that moment. He knew that despite the fact that he was going to be pissed for weeks about the blood stains and holes in one of his shirts, they'd still be okay. He knew that even though Zoro would be cursing him for the blow to his arm that would keep the swordsman from weightlifting for a few days, they'd be okay. He knew that no matter what he, the idiot swordsman, and all the rest of the crew were nakama, and nothing could ever, _ever_ change that.

* * *

**A/N:**

Ah, I love this chapter. I hope you guys did too. But I really, really loved writing it. I loved reading it over. I just have no complaints about this chapter. (If you do please do let me know.) I think it was the fighting. I love making Sanji and Zoro fight. It's so fun.

Did you notice? This is the only reason so far that hasn't directly used Zoro's name. Random trivia there. Also it's the second longest chapter in this whole story. Yes!

It's also reason number 13. Of 15. We only have two to go. The next chapter might be delayed...I think. (We'll see) I think it's going to be a long one, or one that's going to require a lot of effort. Thank you for all of your patience!

A humongous THANK YOU again to all my wonderful reviewers! I love your input and your words of encouragement, I can't even tell you how happy they make me!

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed~!


	15. Chapter 15

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love**

**Chapter 15**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

_**A/N: **There is an alternative, M rated chapter to this titled "Follow the Leader" in my stories, if you would prefer a slightly more juicy version. It is exactly the same as this one, but continues on for more fun. Though I warn you, that kind of writing is not my strong suit at the moment, so I make no promises as to the quality. I leave the decision up to you. _

* * *

**14. Zoro is always one step ahead.**  
They were supposed to stand on the same ground. They were supposed to be equals. But sometimes no matter how hard Sanji tried, he couldn't keep up with Zoro.

* * *

Sanji had to hand it to them; for once these marines were pretty smart. Of course luck was on their side as well. Had any of the others been on watch, the marines would have been spotted long before they'd pulled up alongside the Sunny and stealthily invaded the ship.

It really didn't put Sanji in a good mood to be woken by the heavy clump of unfamiliar boots on deck. He didn't like surprises (unless they came from a lady) and these kinds of surprises he especially didn't care for. Rising from his bunk along with Usopp, Franky and Brook (the captain and doctor slept soundly through almost anything) they exchanged sleepy glances for a moment before the sound that had roused them really registered.

Sanji was out of his bunk in a flash, giving Luffy a kick in the side as he passed by on his way to the door. Luffy grumbled irritably in his half awakened state and whined about the pain Sanji knew the rubber man didn't feel. Sanji left it up to the others to wake Chopper and fill the two in, opening the door a scant crack and peering out. Seeing no immediate threat, he silently slipped out onto the deck.

That was when Sanji had decided that whoever it was that was invading his ship had at least had a few shreds of common sense. The deck was black in the night, and Sanji was only just barely able to make out the shape of a larger ship rocking in the waves beside their own. It was smart of them, whoever they were, to extinguish all of their lights. Not that a fully lit ship wouldn't have gotten by the useless Marimo's watch anyway. From the large blackened figure, several smaller shapes came pouring out, invading their home. He watched the dark figures below tramp across the lawn deck and hoped they weren't damaging the grass.

Something tapped his shoulder with delicate fingers, too delicate to belong to anything other than a ladies hand. Sanji spun with adoration in his eyes, ready to woo the woman behind him off of her feet. Instead of a lady though, one of Robin's graceful hands brushed lightly against his shirt again. Now that it had his attention, it waved before pointing up. Sanji followed the direction in which it pointed, looking to the upper deck.

There Robin seemed to grow from the shadows above him. She smiled at him reassuringly; a message that she and the wonderful Nami-san were safe and aware of the situation, Sanji realized. Sanji waved to her again and she nodded once, melting back into the shadows and becoming invisible once more.

With the knowledge that his ladies were safe, Sanji moved to take care of the second order of business. Moving silently to avoid detection he moved to the foremast. Despite their number, the enemies weren't very observant and Sanji picked his way easily across the lawn deck. Once he'd made it safely there, he paused to light a cigarette, the flame of his lighter sparking the night with a flash of light. It caught some attention, but that didn't really matter anymore. He inhaled deeply, savoring the first drag of the day. He could feel the eyes of several marines on him. He knew they were marines now, he'd seen the familiar white uniform from the faint glow of his lighter.

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Sanji paused before taking another deep breath. "Oi, Marimo!" He shouted as loudly as he could. "You shitty moss-brain! You're sleeping on watch again, aren't you?!" He called up to the crow's nest.

There was a beat of silence in which the marines were apparently too stunned by Sanji's brazen behavior to react. Finally a green-headed monster poked its head out from the crow's nest. Silhouetted against the stars, Sanji could hardly make out the swordsman's features, but he was sure the marimo was probably glaring at him.

"I was not," Zoro denied flatly.

"Bullshit!" Sanji growled. "How the hell do you explain all of this then?" He asked, gesturing at the men scattered around the deck.

It seemed the marine's had had enough of Sanji's blatant shouting at this point, seeing as one of them rushed forward with a roaring battle cry, intending to cleave Sanji in two with his cutlass. His form was sloppy though, he wasn't much of a swordsman. It was very probable that he'd joined the marines for money, as so many young soldiers often did. Sanji spared him a moment of pity before raising his leg and easily casting his attacker aside.

The one brave man's act seemed to spur the rest into action, and Sanji found himself surrounded at the base of the foremast, a variety of weapons pointed at him threateningly. Sanji took another drag of his cigarette, eyeing the enemies surrounding him. None of them looked particularly dangerous, and Sanji didn't feel particularly threatened. He felt more annoyed than anything, really. He was going to have to get up and make breakfast in a couple of hours, and the lack of sleep was going to put him in a terrible mood for the day.

There was a loud thump behind him. Sanji glanced back at the marimo, swords drawn and a feral smile on his face.

"Starting without me, Shit-cook?" The swordsman asked, eyeing the marines like a tiger eyes its prey.

Sanji stubbed out the remains of his cigarette. "You could have started earlier if you hadn't been asleep on watch, Marimo," He sighed.

"Hey, nothing bad happened so what's the problem?" Zoro shrugged.

Sanji wanted to point out that despite the fact that the crew and their ship were still unharmed, a hoard of invading marines _was_ a bad thing. But he never got to make his argument, because at that moment the marines had decided that they'd had enough of waiting and made their attack.

"Hey Cook," Zoro called from behind him, easily fending off a couple of the marines with his swords.

"What?" Sanji snapped, kicking one of the men harder than he intended too. The poor guy would probably suffer quite a few broken ribs but Sanji _probably_ hadn't killed him.

"I bet I can take down more than you," Zoro answered smugly, sending a couple of the marines flying.

It was a game they sometimes played, when the enemy was easy enough. Though even if it wasn't, they compared strengths in their stronger enemies to see who really got the better kill. It was part of their relationship even before they had a relationship. Sanji hated to lose to Zoro, he hated to be one-upped by the mossy bastard and he hated the smug grin Zoro wore every time he won.

"You're on, Shitty-marimo," Sanji gritted out. There was no way to refuse even if Sanji wanted to. With that their count began. Sanji kicked every marine in sight with lightning fast speed, spurred on by the hiss of sharp blades slicing through their targets behind him.

Having taken their time waking up, the rest of the crew emerged from their sleeping quarters. The marines had forgotten about them, focusing all of their firepower onto Sanji and Zoro. Luffy rubbed his eyes sleepily and watched the fray below him.

"Zoro and Sanji have got it; can I go back to bed now?" He whined.

Nami brought her fist down on his head. "Go help them, you idiot!" She shrieked.

Luffy grumbled in reply but followed her orders, launching himself into the fray.

"Franky, take the helm," She instructed. "We need to get out of here before they realize physical force isn't going to work and decide to sink us with cannon balls," She turned to the remaining four. "Usopp, Brook, you're on cannon ball watch. Chopper, you're on clean up," She pointed to the growing pile of unconscious bodies on the deck below them. "Toss those overboard. And Robin," She moved her pointing hand slightly up and to the left, pointing at a connecting line between the ships where still more marines were climbing over. "Get rid of that."

The Straw Hats moved to follow her orders. Luffy was the captain, but in most situations Nami was the boss. She kept her head in most emergency situations better than their crazy captain.

Sanji flipped on to his hands, kicking his legs into a wide circle that easily added another fifteen to his body count. Unfortunately the swordsman had a similar move, creating a tornado of blades that upped his count again. Sanji huffed in frustration. The stupid swordsman had an advantage with more weapons. Sanji only did have two legs after all. But Sanji knew he was faster than Zoro on any given day, if he really tried, and tried to make up his loss with some quick kicks to the group of enemies before him.

He heard his captain's frustrated shouts joining the noise of their fight. So the others were awake now, and the end of the fight would come sooner than later. Sanji worked a little faster, it was now or never on upping the body count and beating Zoro.

Pain blossomed through his shoulder and he backpedaled at the sudden pain. He pressed his hand to the affected area, pain sparking sharply again. Sanji pulled his hand away, finding it covered in blood.

"Not such a tough guy now, are you?" The marine in front of him hissed.

The marine in question held a sword out in front of him in a manner Zoro would have disapproved of. The man clearly had no real experience, skill, or talent for swordsmanship, so Sanji was surprised to see blood dripping from the tip of the blade. It took him another moment to realize the blood was _his_ and that the shitty marine who could barely hold his sword the right way had _stabbed him in the shoulder._

Sanji cursed under his breath and quickly sent the inexperienced but lucky marine flying. Sanji cursed himself repeatedly, taking down a couple more marines. He'd gotten careless, so focused on beating Zoro he didn't notice an oncoming attack from an idiot marine. Now his shoulder hurt with every move and it was slowing him down so that he _definitely_ wasn't going to beat Zoro.

The number of marines had dwindled significantly once Luffy joined the fray. Most that hadn't been kicked, stabbed, or punched had wisely fled for fear of their lives. Only a few foolhardy men remained, and they were easily over powered. Nami and Franky steered them to safety while the others took care of any stragglers.

"That was fun," Luffy yawned. "Can I go to bed now?"

"Fifty-three," Zoro reported, sliding up next to Sanji. He wore a smug grin like he already knew the results would be in his favor. It pissed Sanji off to no end.

"Fifty-one," Sanji replied simply. He lit up a new cigarette and headed toward the galley. It was still too early for breakfast but he'd love to take his frustrations out on some bread dough or have at a slab of meat with the tenderizer.

"What was that cook?" Zoro called, a grin etched into his face. "Did I win?"

Zoro's hand fell on to Sanji's shoulder, intending to make the cook turn an admit defeat properly. Unfortunately the jarring impact of the brutish swordsman's stupidly strong hand sent a blindingly sharp stab of pain through Sanji's injured shoulder. Sanji hissed and spun, quickly freeing himself from the marimo's grip.

"That hurt, you bastard," Sanji growled.

Zoro looked at the cook in confusion for a moment before looking at his own hand. Sanji's reaction seemed to imply that his touch was poisonous or something. His hand _did_ have something on it; something red, slightly sticky...blood. His hand had blood on it that wasn't his own. He looked up at Sanji in slight horror. Sure enough he cook was bleeding profusely, his usually pristine clothing was soaked through at the shoulder, and streaks of it ran down the front.

"You're hurt," Zoro stated. His voice was flat and emotionless, which Sanji knew was actually Zoro's way of showing concern.

"It's just a scratch," Sanji shrugged turning to make his way to the galley once again.

Unfortunately for Sanji, though Zoro's voice sounded flat and disinterested it was also low and loud, and had the tendency to carry.

"You're hurt Sanji?!" Chopper exclaimed, immediately racing over to inspect. Sanji sighed heavily and let his shoulders slump in defeat. There was no arguing against the doctor.

Sanji gave the reindeer an assuring smile as he waited for the medical examination to be done. "I can assure you I'm fine Chopper, it's just a scratch."

"It's not just a scratch!" Chopper protested, giving Sanji an irritated look. "You were stabbed! This is deep!" He ripped the fabric of Sanji's shirt, tearing the hole a little wider. "You need stitches! You're lucky it didn't get any tendons or you wouldn't be using this arm anytime soon."

Sanji winced at the sound of tearing fabric. The shirt was a goner anyway, he knew he'd never get all the blood out, but it didn't make him feel any better about the loss. Rather than watch Chopper poke and prod at the injury he decided to send a glare to the swordsman. It was, after all, Zoro's fault that Chopper had gotten his hands on him. If the moss-brain could have kept his mouth shut Sanji easily could have taken care of this himself. Sanji would remember this next time Zoro was trying to avoid Chopper's medical attention.

But his glare lost its malice when he caught the look on the swordsman's face. Worry was etched into ever furrowed lines on the swordsman's face. He wasn't even looking at Sanji, at least not directly; instead he was staring over Chopper's shoulder at the wound that probably looked much worse now that it had been fully exposed.

Chopper brushed against a particularly sensitive area and Sanji flinched, the pain drawing his attention away from the swordsman for a moment. When he looked back, Zoro's eyes were on him, but the look in them had changed. Instead of worry his eyes met Sanji's with a look of pure _pity_. That look stung worse than his shoulder.

"Come on Sanji," Chopper spoke, breaking Sanji from his thoughts. "Let's get this stitched up."

Sanji followed obediently. Not because he particularly enjoyed Chopper's medical treatments but because anywhere was better than here, where the swordsman was still giving him that look. That look reached right in an tugged at Sanji's innermost insecurities and doubts.

Since Sanji had met Zoro he'd seen him as a rival. He hated Zoro at the time, foolishly thinking of him as nothing more than a booze-stealing, moss-brained, muscle-head. Well…Sanji still thought of Zoro that way, but at least now he knew that there was more than meets the eye when it came to the marimo. But there was one thing Sanji could always admit, even when he'd hated Zoro; the swordsman was strong.

It wasn't many men that could fight on par with Sanji. Sanji had learned from the best, after all, and very few expected, or could hold out, against the cook's particular fighting style. So the first time Sanji had ever lost his temper with the marimo and lashed out, he'd been entirely surprised and secretly a little pleased to discover the swordsman could easily anticipate and block Sanji's attacks. It was thrilling, knowing he could fight with the swordsman using his full strength and hardly make a bruise on the other man. It was freeing and Sanji came to love the feeling fighting with Zoro gave him, even if the fight itself was fueled by hate.

The first time Zoro ever left a scratch on him, Sanji began having his doubts. It was barely a scratch, a nick to the skin of his thigh that barely bled. But it had been more than a lucky shot. Zoro had gotten the best of Sanji, and it wouldn't be the last time.

Sanji began to really take notice of Zoro's skill then. Zoro was supremely talented, and his hard work and dedication to his skill honed that talent down to raw deadly power that sent a slight shiver down even Sanji's spine. Zoro was _strong_ and it was possible, though Sanji hated to admit it, that Zoro was even stronger than he was.

Sanji took notes when they fought every time after that, looking for a weakness Zoro had that he could exploit, looking for something he had that Zoro did not. The problem was that Zoro seemed to be doing something similar, and Zoro was a quick learner. Every time Sanji managed to find a way to take Zoro down, Zoro made a mental note and spent the time until their next fight mentally rehearsing all the ways to avoid or counter that move. It was exceedingly frustrating for Sanji, who then had to make up a new way of defeating Zoro.

Their track record for wins and losses against each other, if they'd kept such a thing, would probably be about equal. But Sanji couldn't help but feel as though he was losing.

Perhaps that was because it wasn't just the fights that Sanji felt like he was losing in. When it came to protecting their nakama, Zoro was always the first to throw his life on the line. Sanji was more than willing to do the same, but Zoro was always there first. And the marimo could never let Sanji take a turn, of course not. To Zoro, Sanji was someone who needed to be protected as well. Sanji was always pushed behind, left with the others while Zoro stood the tallest and the strongest.

Even their current relationship and everything in it was because of Zoro. Zoro had fallen in love first, kissed him first, and waited patiently for Sanji to catch up. Because Sanji was always one step behind Zoro, and it had always bothered him.

So the look of pity on Zoro's face was painfully insulting to Sanji. For Sanji it was like the swordsman had turned around to see that Sanji had tripped and fallen, and felt sorry for the poor man who couldn't keep up. Sanji wanted to kick that look off the Marimo's face, but doing so wouldn't change anything, and Sanji wouldn't feel any better in the long run.

Perhaps he should work harder, Sanji thought as Chopper led him into the sick bay. After all, Zoro trained for hours every day to constantly improve himself. Sanji wasn't exactly lax about staying fit and practicing, but with his duties as cook he didn't spend nearly as much time practicing or working out as Zoro did. Perhaps that was the difference? Maybe Sanji _should_ work harder, but how would he have time to dote on the ladies if he were to do that?

His thoughts were interrupted by Chopper's abrupt stop. They were in the sick bay now, Sanji saw, and he made for the bed. He'd already learned that cooperating with Chopper got you out of the sick bay much faster than arguing with the doctor did. He sat on the bed waiting for Chopper to come over and worry over him some more.

But Chopper was still lingering by the door, which was very inconvenient for Sanji who wanted this over as soon as possible.

"Are you hurt too?" Chopper asked the still open door. Well, obviously there was someone on the other side of the door, but from where he sat Sanji couldn't see who it was.

The answering voice was a dead giveaway though. "No," There was a long pause in which Chopper gave the person on the other side of the door a suspicious look. Finally the voice that set Sanji's teeth on edge spoke up again. "Can I just come in?"

There was another pause, shorter this time though, before Chopper moved aside and allowed the door to swing open freely. "No fighting," The little reindeer warned.

"I won't," Zoro answered, stepping into the sick bay and meeting Sanji's gaze with his own. It was an exchange Sanji quickly broke, pulling out a fresh cigarette. He wouldn't be able to light it here, but he needed the feel of one between his lips to feel more grounded. He didn't know if he could handle sitting in a closed space with Zoro and receiving _the look._

Chopper set to work properly cleaning out Sanji's wound and stitching it closed. It wasn't a pleasant process to watch, but Sanji watched the doctor work with a practiced and dedicated focus. Mostly because he could feel the marimo's gaze burning into him, and he had no desire to accidently catch his eye. So he watched Chopper's needle weave in and out of him with perfect precision.

"There," Chopper finally declared, snipping the remaining string from the last stitch and pulling out a wad of bandage. "Now we'll just bandage you up, and you can be on your way."

With the last of the bandages placed, Chopper declared them done and they both stood. Sanji was more than ready to flee the infirmary and make it to the safety of his kitchen. The feel of Zoro's eyes on him was making him itch in a way that couldn't be scratched away, and he wanted free from it.

"I need to talk to you," Zoro announced, seeming to sense Sanji's urge to flee. The marimo just couldn't cut him some slack could he?

Chopper looked warily between the two. "Uh, Sanji, I should mention that intense physical activity will pull your stitches, and I'll have to redo them so…" He trailed off, looking between them once again.

Zoro's expression softened the way it did only when he was speaking to Chopper. "We're not going to fight, Chopper," He assured the small reindeer. "It's just a talk, I promise."

Chopper hardly looked reassured, but seemed to decide that he couldn't stop the inevitable. With a simple nod he ducked out the door alone. "Don't break anything," He pleaded on last time before leaving.

There was a strained silence between the two men. Sanji wondered if Zoro was actually waiting for him to speak first, which would be stupid because Sanji wanted nothing more than to start on breakfast and to avoid the marimo entirely for the next few hours. So Sanji maintained the silence, looking everywhere that Zoro wasn't.

"Are you okay?" Zoro finally asked, breaking the silence.

"It's not that bad, Marimo," Sanji scoffed. He pulled the lighter from his pocket. Chopper would probably kill him for it later, but he desperately needed the nicotine.

"I'm not worried about your shoulder, Shit-cook," Zoro snorted, folding his arms over his chest and slouching down in the chair. "I'm asking what's wrong with you."

Sanji shook his head. "Well I just god stabbed in the shoulder, Marimo. It hurts just a little bit."

"It's not your pain either," Zoro scowled. His voice was gruffer with his frustration and Sanji knew he was pushing the other man's buttons. "I'm asking what's wrong with you that you let yourself get hurt in the first place."

Sanji frowned. Zoro always knew the exact wrong question to ask. It pissed Sanji off even more. Of course in his current mood Zoro could have pissed him off by scratching his head, but that was beside the point.

"Nothing's wrong, Marimo," He replied, his tone conveying a false coolness he didn't currently possess. "I just want to serve breakfast."

There was a long pause. Sanji would have assumed the conversation was over, but Zoro was still blocking the door. Apparently the marimo was willing to starve himself and the rest of the crew for the sake of making Sanji exceedingly uncomfortable.

"If nothing is wrong, why won't you look at me?" Zoro asked.

Sanji frowned. His behavior was too obvious if even the moss-brain picked up on it. Bracing himself, Sanji raised his eyes, daring to meet Zoro's.

Zoro had that look again. Worry mixed with pity, and it hurt even more than it had the first time.

"Don't look at me like that," Sanji growled.

Zoro's face changed to a look of confusion but his eyes didn't lose the look that haunted Sanji. "Like what?" Zoro asked.

"Like I'm weak," Sanji gritted out. He didn't want to fight with Zoro, he didn't want to do anything at the moment but _get away_. "Like you feel sorry for me; poor, weak Sanji who can't hold his own in a fight."

Now Zoro looked truly confused. "Cook, I don't think that way at all. I don't even know where you're getting this from."

Sanji seethed. His anger and frustrations boiled just beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. He could feel the emotions roll in his gut, an angry tidal wave begging to be released. He wasn't an idiot though, he knew better than to let his emotions get the better of him. He took a deep drag of his cigarette, letting the nicotine placate the wild emotions within.

"Sanji," Zoro spoke again. The use of his name almost made Sanji flinch but demanded his close attention; Zoro didn't use his name often. "I know you're not weak. You're strong, stronger than most men. That's why I'm worried; you didn't get hurt because those guys were better than you."

Zoro's eyes conveyed his sincerity. He really meant what he was saying. Sanji felt his anger drain away, slowly. It left him feeling drained and exhausted. Though, that could have been the lack of sleep. Maybe he was overthinking things. Maybe Zoro's concern was just concern. The pity easily could have been pity for the pain Sanji would feel from the stab wound, rather than pity for Sanji's weakness and inability to fight…Maybe Sanji was just projecting his inner thoughts onto Zoro's otherwise innocent actions.

"Yeah," Sanji mumbled, feeling slightly ashamed of his previous anger. "I know," He looked to Zoro. "I'm going to get started on breakfast now okay?"

Zoro seemed to be able to read the apology in Sanji's eyes and stepped aside. Sanji left the sick bay without another word and made his way to the galley. The galley was where he felt most comfortable and most capable of collecting his thoughts. It was certainly better than the stifling infirmary, and what Sanji needed to do now was use his head.

* * *

Sanji pulled out several ingredients for a breakfast of omelets for the crew. Omelets were popular with the crew because Sanji customized them to suit everyone's varied tastes. The only drawback was that making such a varied breakfast was usually time consuming and Sanji didn't usually feel like spending so much time on a large scale breakfast like that. Today however he had time to kill, Luffy had probably gone back to bed for at least another hour, and he could really use the prep time to think.

He let his mind wander. Forcing his thoughts rarely helped do anything more than further confuse him in these kinds of situations. It was best to let his mind wander on its own; it would take him exactly where he needed it to go anyway. Sure enough, once the onions for Nami's omelet had been chopped and he'd tossed them in a pan to caramelize, his mind wandered straight to the problem he currently needed to think about: Zoro.

Now that he was away from the marimo and going through the comforting motions of his chosen profession, he was willing to admit the blame in this situation really lay with him, not the marimo. Zoro wasn't the kind of person that worked hard to impress anyone or show off. He was doing it for a promise and his dream. No, Zoro definitely didn't behave the way he did simply for the purpose of leaving Sanji behind.

That was the root of this problem, Sanji decided. Once he'd considered Zoro his equal. Now he was seeing that Zoro often pulled ahead of him, and he was sure one day Zoro's progress through things would take him far beyond Sanji's reach. Even when Zoro had been nothing more than his nakama and rival, the thought of Zoro passing him by and disappearing had terrified him.

But what could he do? Sanji pondered that while grilling a cut of salmon for Usopp's omelet. It wasn't like Sanji could ask the swordsman to slow down his training. That would interfere with Zoro's dream and Sanji wouldn't even dream of doing that. Besides, it wasn't like Sanji was particularly weak compared to Zoro. He lost some of their fights maybe, but Zoro lost just as often and neither of them came out completely uninjured.

Having grilled the salmon to perfection Sanji removed it from the grill, placing cuts of bacon and sausage for Luffy down instead. No, their fights were almost even, Sanji could make due with almost even. What else? Tell Zoro to step down from protecting their nakama? Sanji wouldn't dream of it. True Sanji would gladly spare Zoro pain and suffering by stepping in for him, but sometimes that wasn't always possible. What if Sanji was far away at the time? Or incapacitated at the moment? What if Sanji wasn't fast enough and Zoro could get there first? There was no way Sanji would ask Zoro to risk their nakama to wait for Sanji to fill in for him. The idea was ludicrous. Sanji would expect Zoro to do what was needed.

Sanji shredded spinach for Chopper's omelet and crumbled feta cheese for Robin's. So what did Sanji expect Zoro to do? What could Sanji do? Their very relationship was started by Zoro, what did that leave for Sanji?

Sanji's hand froze in the middle of shredding potatoes for Franky's omelet. Sudden realization hit him like one of Luffy's unrestrained punches. There _was_ something he could do, something that would definitely give him a slight one up on Zoro.

Feeling relieved and loads better, Sanji continued the process of making omelets for the crew, boiling rice for Zoro's omelet and cracking open the crab he'd prepared for Brook's. All he needed now was a plan, and Sanji was rather good at coming up with plans.

* * *

Sanji decided to hold off till after dinner to execute his plan. He spent the time until then hammering out the fine details (the plan was simple enough but it never hurt to have a few alternatives to fall back on) and making sure everything was fully prepared.

His sudden swing from sullen, injured Sanji into gleeful, upbeat Sanji drew the attention of more than a couple of crew members. But Sanji wasn't exactly known for his stable emotions, so really no one was that surprised. And of course no one was going to dare to ask on the off chance the Sanji's moods would swing again and they'd have to face his rage.

With dinner made (perfectly) and served (appealingly) and his crew fed (messily), Sanji set about cleaning his kitchen. Zoro volunteered his services again tonight in helping the cook clean. This probably had something to do with Sanji's injured shoulder that Zoro had been shooting worried glances at each time Sanji lifted something "too heavy", but it worked out perfectly for Sanji's plan so Sanji readily accepted the marimo's help.

The kitchen was cleaned, the dishes washed and Zoro was just putting the last cup away when Sanji slid up behind him, placing his hands on the counter on either side of Zoro's waist. He left just enough room for Zoro to turn and face him before he closed in on the marimo entirely, pressing close and claiming his lips in a gentle kiss.

"Mm," Zoro hummed happily when Sanji pulled away. "You're certainly in a good mood now," He mused.

"Don't ruin it, Marimo," Sanji replied playfully, leaning in to kiss Zoro again. His kiss was less gentle this time, it was more forceful and demanding but just enough to tease and tempt. It worked beautifully though as Zoro met this passion and returned it with his own. One of Zoro's hands came to tangle in Sanji's hair while the other found his hip and tugged him closer.

Sanji obliged, stepping closer and pressing one of his legs in between Zoro's, creating a delicious friction that tore a genuine groan from the swordsman. Sanji smiled into the kiss, completely satisfied with the way things were going.

That was, until the hand as his hip gave a forceful push at the same time that one of Zoro's leg tangled with Sanji's, effectively throwing his balance and spinning the cook around. Now _Sanji_ was the one pushed up against the counter and at the mercy of the marimo, which was not the plan at all. While Zoro seemed ridiculously enthused with the idea, but Sanji was not and completely abandoned the kiss.

When the cook's lips stopped moving with his own and his body seemed to go limp and lifeless, Zoro pulled away with some concern. "What's wrong?" He panted against the cook's lips.

Sanji pushed his shoulder far enough back to meet his eyes. "This is my show, Marimo," Sanji growled. "I'm running it," And with that Zoro felt himself back against the counter.

Zoro probably should have protested this treatment, but the cook's coarse voice sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. Plus the moment Zoro's back hit the counter, Sanji's lips were back against his, just as hot and demanding as they had been before Zoro had turned them around.

Well, he thought as Sanji's lips trailed down his neck, nipping lightly in places that made Zoro's whole body jerk, if this was what he got for letting Sanji run the show he was more okay with that.

Sanji's hands trailed up Zoro's sides, tracing the dips and planes of the muscles beneath. That and the feeling of the cook nipping lightly at his earlobe pulled a soft moan from Zoro that Sanji was nothing if not satisfied with. It was the exact signal Sanji needed to proceed with his plan.

Sanji released the marimo's ear and pulled away. Zoro's eyes snapped open at the loss of contact, his eyes searching wildly until they found Sanji a few feet away.

"Cook...what..." Zoro was beyond forming a coherent thought at the moment. He could hardly breathe properly.

Sanji smiled at Zoro from across the room. It was a suggestive smile that promised much and Zoro knew he was completely under Sanji's mercy. Sanji was in charge now; Zoro would follow whatever command the cook gave in that moment.

"That's as far as you get to go in the kitchen, Marimo," Sanji smiled, that teasing smile that nearly tore Zoro in two as his words sunk in. He wondered if his hand would even do the trick tonight, given what he'd been imagining. How would it be enough?

Sanji's next words fixed that problem for Zoro entirely though.

"The storeroom though is free game," The cook finished, slipping out the door.

Zoro didn't waste a single second in following after him.

* * *

So I have been up since 5 PM yesterday. It is now 2PM my time. I'm quite tired. I edited it but I'm willing to bet I missed more than a few errors. I apologize, but I couldn't wait to post it. I will probably fix it later.

Thank you for the amazing reviews. I honestly can't believe this story has so many readers and that so many of you enjoy it but I am very happy, thank you so, so much!

I'm sure there was more that I wanted to say, but it's slipped my mind. I hope you enjoyed! Only one more chapter remains!

And for a tadbit of trivia - (Completely random)

Straw Hat omelets:

Luffy – Sausage and bacon  
Zoro – Omurice  
Nami – Bell peppers and caramelized onions  
Ussop – Grilled salmon  
Sanji – Seared shrimp and scallops with hollandaise sauce  
Chopper – Spinach and diced tomatoes  
Robin – Crumbled feta cheese and diced tomatoes  
Franky – Fried shredded potatoes, cheddar cheese, and ketchup  
Brook – Crab, swiss cheese, and spring onion


	16. Chapter 16

**15 Reasons to Fall in Love **

**Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**15. Zoro's hair is GREEN.  
**Because honestly, who in their right mind would want to date a moss-head?!

* * *

When Sanji woke the next morning, it was still dark. Or he thought it was still dark, until he attempted to sit up and realized that he was not in his bunk. Not only was he not in his bunk, he had something latched to his waist that tightened its hold when Sanji moved. The fog of sleep finally lifted from Sanji's mind and he recalled the events of the night before. A smile stretched his face and he looked down to where Zoro lay, though it was so dark Sanji could hardly tell him apart from the blankets beneath him.

Unlatching the arms from his waist was difficult, the marimo didn't seem inclined to let go anytime soon, but eventually Sanji managed. Spending a few fumbling moments in the dark he finally managed to locate the storm lantern they'd used the night before. He managed to light it, illuminating the storage room they had spent the night in.

"Oi, Marimo," He called to the sleeping mass on the blankets.

Zoro grunted and turned but didn't move any more than that.

Sanji sighed and moved closer. "Marimooo," He sang out.

Zoro didn't budge.

"Oi, Zoro," Sanji called a little louder now, his impatience bleeding into his voice. All Zoro did was sleep! How could he even sleep through the night after all the napping he did during the day?! "Wake up you shitty moss."

Sanji was about to shake him awake, but a hand shot out and grabbed his before he reached. Sanji glared down at Zoro, who was very clearly awake and staring back at him. He attempted to tug his hand out of the swordsman's grasp but the hold only tightened. Zoro brought Sanji's hand to his face and nuzzled into the cook's knuckles, his eyes falling shut again in content and pleasure. He resembled an overly affectionate cat, and Sanji couldn't help but soften at the gesture.

"What time is it?" Zoro murmured against Sanji's hand.

"I'm not sure," Sanji looked pointedly at the ceiling. The storage room was far below deck, where no natural light made its way in. There was no sun or moonlight shining here to give Sanji and idea of the time, but if there was one thing he'd prided himself on as a chef it was his punctuality. Sanji was never late for breakfast. Well, maybe he had been as a child, but Zeff had broken that habit. After years of his routine, Sanji could trust his biological clock to wake him for meal times. "Early probably. I should be making breakfast soon."

Zoro grunted, though Sanji wasn't sure if that was a grunt of agreement, acknowledgement, or a snore. He was inclined to go with the latter, as the swordsman had been lying still with his eyes closed for far too long. His grip on Sanji's hand hadn't lessened though.

"Come on, Marimo," Sanji sighed, attempting to wiggle his hand free. "It's time to get dressed."

Zoro grunted again, but this time it seemed to be in compliance. He freed Sanji's hand and stretched, a few joints popping in relief at the change of position, and sat up to search for his clothes.

Pleased that Zoro was listening to him without argument (perhaps Sanji should ask things from Zoro when he's half asleep from now on) Sanji set about dressing himself. Fortunately, he'd been smart enough to neatly fold his clothes and set them off to the side where he could easily find them later. It was much more convenient than having them thrown about carelessly as Zoro's were (though that may have partially been his own fault). He watched Zoro struggle to find his shirt while he buttoned up his own.

When Sanji picked up his pants, something fell from the pocket without his notice. He slid them on and was half way through doing them up when Zoro interrupted him.

"What's this?"

Sanji turned curiously. Zoro had managed to find his shirt and had slipped it on, though he was still short one boot. Between his fingers he held a neatly folded piece of paper. Sanji stared at it, curious himself as to what a piece of paper was doing in the storage room. There was something slightly familiar about it; something about the way the crease of the fold was worn, like it had been folded and unfolded many times…

_The list!_

Sudden realization zapped through Sanji and he made a lunge for the paper in Zoro's hand. "That's mine!" He cried, sounding a tad to panicked and desperate for his liking.

Zoro reacted instantly, yanking the paper out of Sanji's reach. Sanji lunged for it again, but Zoro managed to keep it just out of reach. A smirk spread across the marimo's face, the kind that said he was now going to do whatever possible to piss Sanji off.

"What's on the paper, Cook?" He asked curiously.

"Nothing," Sanji answered a little too quickly. "Ingredients for a new dish I'd like to try," He added. There, that sounded more believable.

"Oh?" Zoro's grin widened. He didn't buy Sanji's lie for a moment. "Well let's just take a look at what you'll be feeding us next."

"You won't even know half those ingredients," Sanji quickly, trying once more to snatch the paper back from Zoro.

Zoro was done playing keep away, snatching up the cooked hands and pinning them under his knees. The hold was gentle, but when Sanji tried to pull his hands free Zoro shifted his weight causing a painful twinge in Sanji's hands. Sanji didn't think Zoro would _actually_ hurt his hands, but the pain sent a red alert to the most instinctive parts of his brain. Pain in the hands could mean injury to the hands, and Sanji wouldn't let his hands be injured, so he held very still.

He watched in horror as Zoro unfolded the slip of paper in his hands. He did so very carefully, and Sanji didn't blame him. When had it gotten so worn? He had written it so long ago, Sanji had been carrying that list for a long time; so long he'd actually forgotten it existed. True he moved it from pants pocket to pants pocket every time he changed, but that had become more habit than anything else. He'd kept it in the same pocket as his lighter, and it had become just another part of his personal effects over time. Things he didn't think about owning, they were just always there.

But had it always been so worn out? Holes peaked through the creases of the paper, probably where corners had been rubbed away inside his pants. He remembered that, once upon a time, he'd taken it out almost every day, reading it over and assuring himself that as long as that list existed, Zoro and he would never be together. What silly denial. His feelings for Zoro won out in hardly anytime at all, and the list that had been his safety harness against these feelings had become nothing more than a forgotten fold of paper.

Zoro read over the page, his brow furrowed in what was either confusion or frustration. Neither was really a good thing; confusion made Zoro irritable and frustration would mean Zoro was going to be angry. Sanji sat still and quiet, observing Zoro's face for any other traces of emotion as he waited for the marimo to finish reading.

When he finished, Zoro held the paper aloft, looking quizzically at Sanji. "So, what is this?"

"The list," Sanji confessed. Zoro's face didn't seem to illuminate with understanding right away, so Sanji decided to explain further. "I wrote it right after you, uh," He paused. For some reason he suddenly felt inexplicably embarrassed by his own past behavior. Falling for Zoro had almost been too easy, and Sanji wondered if maybe he could have saved himself some hassle by just accepting the marimo's feelings in the first place. "I wrote it right after you confessed," He finished quietly, afraid to meet Zoro's eyes.

"Oh yeah," Zoro said, realization seeming to dawn on him. "I remember you tried to give it to me. You're an idiot, Cook. Like I was going to take a 'no' from a sheet of paper with such stupid things written on it," He snorted, but his voice sounded amused. Sanji chanced a look. Not angry, amused. That was good.

"They aren't stupid!" Sanji cried indignantly. "I made some valid points!"

"Like number fifteen?" Zoro rolled his eyes. "Because my hair is green?"

Sanji felt a blush creeping on to his face. Okay, so his list wasn't all valid. "There was a time when I didn't find green as attractive as I do now," He muttered.

Zoro laughed and looked over the list again. "Some of them are crossed out," He pointed out.

Sanji smiled. "You exceeded my expectations, Marimo."

"But not all of them," Zoro frowned, looking thoughtfully at the paper.

Sanji took the opportunity of his distraction to slide his hands out from under Zoro's knees. Zoro didn't use his weight again, instead he let Sanji free, either on purpose or because he wasn't paying attention. Sanji wasn't sure which, but with the concentration he could see Zoro pouring into reading the stupid list, Sanji thought it could easily be the latter.

"Zoro," Sanji sighed, tugging the paper from Zoro's fingers. It gave easily, though Zoro stared after it as Sanji slid it away. "I haven't looked at this shitty thing in so long I forgot I still had it. It was every reason I couldn't fall for you, and I ended up doing that anyway, list or no list."

Zoro looked between him and the list for a moment before a small smile worked onto his face. "So you're in love with me now?"

"Who ever said such a thing?" Sanji asked, feigning innocence but assuring Zoro with a playful smile and a peck on the lips. "Now let's get going. It'll be really suspicious if I'm late making breakfast."

* * *

A feeling of terror gripped Sanji's insides as they headed towards the deck. Upon leaving the storage room there was a little more light filtering in through small windows; barely enough to see their path by, but enough to send a spark of panic through Sanji's gut. Something was off; the lighting looked different than it usually did around this time of day.

They emerged on to the deck a few moments later. Sanji blinked in the blinding, too-bright sunlight that shined down from an impossibly high sun. It certainly wasn't before breakfast time. It wasn't even late morning at this point. It was afternoon.

"There the two of you are," Robin greeted warmly, having spied their entrance. "We took the liberty of making our own breakfasts, Cook-san. Of course, Franky took care of Luffy's," She informed Sanji. She sounded casual, as if she hadn't just seen the cook and the swordsman emerge from below deck together after a night and half a day of inexplicable absence.

"Uh, okay," Sanji spouted. Smooth, real smooth. He sounded about as panicked as he felt and shot one desperate glace to Zoro, hoping perhaps the swordsman had a genius cover story planned for them.

Judging by his bored gaze, however, he probably did not.

"Sanji!" Luffy called out from below. He and Chopper had obviously invented a new and messy game and seemed to be irritating Franky and Usopp who were working together but on separate projects. "Did you and Zoro have fun? Hey, now that you're up will you cook food?"

At the call of his name, every eye seemed to turn to the newly arrived pair. Some, like Nami's and Brook's (though he had no eyes, so really it was tough to say) glittered with curiosity. Usopp and Franky exchanged a knowing look. Robin smiled warmly, and Chopper just looked mildly confused.

Sanji felt himself practically glowing red from the sudden attention. He diverted his gaze, trying to pretend he couldn't feel six pairs of eyes observing him closely.

Zoro didn't seem to be feeling the same embarrassment. Nor did he apparently hear Luffy's awkwardly stated question. His mind had clearly been wandering up to the crow's nest ahead of him, already planning out a regimen that was sure to push him to new limits. He _did_ however notice when everyone's attention fell on to him and seemed to linger for longer than normal.

"What are you all staring at?" He asked irritably, annoyed by the sudden attention.

His blunt question deterred some of the more easily frightened members of the crew. Usopp for example, let out a terrified squeak and quickly pretended to look engrossed in his work. Chopper also looked away, looking properly embarrassed about having been caught staring. The others were not so easily frightened off and continued to look between the two men.

"I think that everyone is curious as to why the two of you were missing from your bunks last night only to have shown up this morning together," She paused looking at the two men thoughtfully. "In yesterday's clothing no less."

Sanji's blush deepened. Trust Robin to say exactly what was on her mind, but now the others were beginning to look a little more enlightened. He could practically feel their eyes raking down his clothing, and he hoped that he at least looked somewhat put together.

Zoro still didn't look all that disturbed though, in fact he looked down at Robin as if she were the confusing circumstance here. "Because we slept down in the storage room," He stated, as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Together?" She asked, one elegant eyebrow rising in amusement.

"Yeah, of course together," Zoro scoffed.

"I knew it," Robin smiled happily. "Franky I believe you owe Navigator-san some money."

Nami smiled wickedly, her mind whirling through numbers and sums as she calculated just exactly how much money she'd won.

"I told you," Usopp frowned at a pouting Franky. "I told you she was right. And even if I hadn't told you, you should know better than to make a bet with Nami."

"Sanji and Zoro had a sleep over?" Chopper asked innocently.

"Yup!" Luffy laughed. "But not the kind of sleep over you and I can go to, Chopper," He said wisely, though he honestly had no idea what he was talking about. He was just repeating what Robin had told him the night before.

Brook laughed. "Ah young love. I remember it fondly."

Sanji had had quite enough of this conversation. He decided to take advantage of the fact that they were all currently distracted with arguing amongst each other and made for the galley, the swordsman in tow. He certainly had a few choice words for the marimo.

Sanji slammed the door shut securely behind him, flicking the lock and ensuring himself some much needed privacy. After all he wouldn't want any witnesses for the murder he was about to commit. He rounded on the swordsman, ready to berate the idiot within an inch of his life for being such a loud mouth.

But Zoro spoke first. "I know you're mad."

Sanji considered skipping the talking part and moving straight on to the maiming, but it sounded like the marimo had more to say. Instead of committing murder, Sanji pulled a cigarette from his pack and lit it, deeply enjoying the burn of smoke in his lungs.

"Why would you open your big mouth like that, Shitty-marimo?" Sanji asked after the nicotine had hit his system and calmed his nerves, settling his rage at least a little bit.

"They were going to find out eventually," Zoro shrugged. "I think Robin probably already knew."

"I think so too," Sanji frowned. "I think she figured it out from the very beginning. Robin-chan is so smart," He cooed warmly.

Zoro snorted and ignored Sanji's comment before continuing. "And if we didn't tell them, they'd just talk about it anyway. They aren't idiots," He paused. "Some of them aren't idiots," He corrected with a chuckle.

"You could have found a more delicate way to break it to them!" Sanji growled, his temper flaring at how easily Zoro was handling this situation.

"What was wrong with the way I did it?" The swordsman asked, confused.

Sanji let out an exasperated sigh. "Chopper and Luffy were present, you perverted moss-brain!"

"It's not like they took anything weird from it," There was a long pause in which it seems an idea had implanted itself into Zoro's mind.

Finally he spoke again. "So you're not mad that I told them, you're just mad about the way I told them?"

Sanji sighed again, softer this time, and moved to the ashtray to stub his cigarette out. "Of course I'm not mad you told them, idiot. I just wished you had a hint of delicacy."

"You're really okay that they know?" Zoro asked in disbelief.

Sanji smiled and beckoned the swordsman closer. Zoro obeyed instantly and Sanji thought he could get used to a more obedient marimo. "They were going to have to know at some point because I intend to stay the night with you quite often," He smirked as Zoro's eyes widened. "Now listen up, Marimo because I am only going to say this once."

Zoro looked more attentive than he had ever looked in his entire life and Sanji had to resist the urge to laugh.

"I love you, Zoro," Sanji said quietly, pulling the swordsman in for a short kiss.

Zoro looked a little stunned when Sanji released him, and this time Sanji couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, Marimo," He chuckled. "Get going." With that he turned away, opening the refrigerator and inspecting the contents to decide what to make for lunch.

"Say it again," Zoro said, still looking stunned where he'd been left standing.

"I told you I was only going to say it once," Sanji smirked, pulling out a container of left overs he was going to have to use up soon.

"I didn't hear you. Say it again," The swordsman pleaded.

"Hm," Sanji seemed to consider for a moment. "Maybe if you leave me alone to cook I'll tell you again tomorrow."

Zoro smiled, a broad, warm smile that was almost foreign on his face. It was a smile that made Sanji's insides flutter. He wondered if now he'd be able to see that smile more often.

"Now shoo, Marimo, go make up for all your lost weightlifts or something," Sanji waved him off.

Zoro laughed. "Whatever you say, Love-cook."

Once Zoro was gone Sanji pulled the folded sheet of paper from his pocket, neatly unfolding it and glancing over its contents. What a stupid thing to write. Just how stupid had he been? Nothing on this list was even remotely accurate, just spending time with Zoro in the past couple of months had more than proved that. To think he would have let this stupid little list of untruths keep him from being with Zoro.

Sanji turned the list over and tore it neatly along the folded seam. He did this, once, twice, and again, until the sheet of paper better resembled confetti, before pitching the little scraps into the garbage. He wouldn't be needing a shitty list like that anymore.

* * *

**End**

* * *

**A/N:**

Well, that's it. That is the end. Hopefully it doesn't sound too horrible. I almost didn't want it to end, it's been so fun!

Thank you all for your amazing reviews and continued support! Honestly when I wrote this thing it was exactly as Sanji said, a shitty little list on paper. I had intended just to make it a series of one shots, but felt that at least some of the reasons could be linked together. It was honestly just for fun because I had been in a bit of a writing slump. I didn't realize people were actually going to enjoy it. But thank you all so very much! From the people who gave me my first reviews to those that reviewed every chapter, and those in between who popped in to tell me what they thought. And all of those that favorited it before it was finished as well as those who followed it and gave it a chance. Thank you all so very much! You've made this very fun for me!

Well, I suppose that's it. I hope you enjoyed! Until next time!


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